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1.
United Kingdom Mission
37-39 rue de Vermont 1211 Geneva 20
Telex 22956
Telegrams Prodrome Geneva Telephone 34 38 00 33 23 85
T Trevan Esq
United Nations Department
FCO
Dear Tim,
(HKD
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v. Duhovell, 42.
!
Your reference
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25 January 1986 MKK 243/1 RECEIVED IN REGISTRY
29 JAN'1986
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UNHCR RESETTLEMENT MEETING:
DESK OFFICER
INDEX
PA
JANUARY
REGISTRY
Action Taken
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1. Our telegram number 21 of 22 January reports on the Hong Kong points raised at the UNHCR Resettlement meeting on 21 January. I now write to report on the other (non Hong Kong) points raised during the meeting.
2. I enclose a copy of the revised briefing notes prepared by UNHCR for the Resettlement meeting and of the statement made at the meeting by Mr Issaka, the new Head of Resettlement Section. There are statistics also attached which were issued at the meeting.
Statements by Participants
3. Most countries' statements included figures of refugees settled in past years and proposed quotas for 1986. Our telegram number 21 gave the information regarding countries' willingness to accept Vietnamese refugees from Hong Kong. My Canadian, Australian and US colleagues made the general point concerning the desirability of more countries (other than the traditional resettlement countries) sharing the burden of resettlement. My Canadian colleague suggested that the UNHCR resettlement planning process needed to be expanded to give governments a better picture of UNHCR's estimates of needs and prospects of resettlement in recipient countries.
A RASRO
4.
In answer to my query, Mr Cooper (Resettlement Section) informed me that of the UK quota of 150 places, the UK had used 74. 76 places remain. The remaining Indo-Thai quota is 1,400 for all countries.
5. Mr Cooper informed us that UNHCR would be, within two months, sending RASRO participants a report on their evaluation of the scheme, its administrative problems and its benefits and, on the basis of this, UNHCR would be suggesting that the scheme either be discontinued or the quotas be renewed. His personal view was that the latter was more likely.
6. My Norwegian colleague asked why some RASRO refugees have not been accepted by some countries and had therefore been passed to other countries for consideration. Mr Cooper explained that this had been caused by the time some countries took to consider a case - this sometimes was close to the 90-day limit - and often these countries
/then
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