LK
IMG/85 72/170/4
R von Arnim Esq
Representative for the United Kingdom
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
36 Westminster Palace Gardens
London
SW1P 1RR
December 1985
I am sorry that I have not been able to reply before now to your
letter of 8 October in which you raised, among other things, the question
of the Government meeting the travel costs arising in the Vietnamese
family reunion programme. We have, as you know, spoken about this
several times since your letter arrived.
It is only fair that I should say at the outset that the United Kingdom
will not be providing money for this purpose. There are certain technical
difficulties in subscribing cash in addition to the already substantial
annual contribution which the United Kingdom makes to UNHCR's
General Programme Funds, and it so happens that the specific use to
which you proposed to direct extra resources raises intricate procedural
issues for us. Furthermore, calls on Government refugee and disaster
funds are particularly heavy at present.
However, you will by now be aware that the Government has been able to
set aside £100,000 for the High Commissioner's Special Appeal for
resettlement costs for Indo-Chinese refugees. This extra money is
intended for certain internal activities, and not for international
travel expenses. However, easing UNHCR's financial burden in some
areas will doubtless leave the organisation able to cope with costs
arising in other areas, such as overseas fares. In this way the
Government gives material expression to its high and continuing regard
for the invaluable work which UNHCR conducts throughout the world.
In your letter you touched upon 2 other, but related, issues. The
first concerned the total number of refugees likely to qualify for
admission under the relaxed family reunion criteria which the Government
announced in its White Paper. We take the view that it is still much
too early to begin assessing the likely intake, particularly as it
has been clearly said that all the identified cases could come here if
they fully meet the criteria. That remains the position. We, like you,
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