PS/MR RAISON
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2. Mw LoskA
Riel by ti sera cy submissim
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From: P S McLean
Dated: 21 January 1986
cc Sir Crispin Tickell
Mr Browning
(Mr Bartow
UNHCR: ORDERLY DEPARTURE PROGRAMME
Mr Vereker
Mr Machin
Mr Faint
Mr Leader
Mr Nash (SEAD/FCO)
су
2
Mr Lande
1271
Mr Wildash (UND/FCO) Mrs J Wyeth
In your minute of 16 January you passed to me Mr Raison's comment on my submission of 3 January, and his request for information on how long it is likely that the Orderly Departure Programme (ODP) will continue.
2
In connection with your first point, I think it should be recalled that the UK was instrumental in setting up the ODP
in 1979 because of our concern about Vietnamese arrivals in
Hong Kong. The ODP provides the best alternative to illegal departures by boat; and the UNHCR foresees ODP continuing as long as the problem remains. Unfortunately the end is not yet in sight and departures will without doubt continue until there is a lasting settlement of the political situation in Indo-China.
3 The budget for 1986 amounting to $2.5 million is divided between external transport costs ($1.5m) and other costs inside. Vietnam including programme support and administration ($1m). I have considered whether it might be appropriate to proceed (as we did with the recent UNHCR Indo-Chinese appeal) by restricting any further support for ODP to costs other than external travel expenses. However, since there are about 2,000 people in the pipeline for whom the UK has issued visa promise letters, it would not only be embarrassing to discontinue our support at this stage but be unhelpful to UNHCR if we seemed unwilling to contribute to travel costs of people destined for the UK. We should however keep in regular contact with the UNHCR office and be prepared to reconsider support to the programme when the 2,000 people referred to above have departed.
mehen chean
PS McLean, Eastern Asia Department