A
10-23
28404
17:29
HKGOVT G
440484 HKWSH VI
TEXT
2645
TELEX NO W/M/387
23 OCTOBER 1986
K 243/
- DEC 1986
Пріра мишолов
FOR DAVID JEAFFRESON, SECRETARY FOR SECURITY
FROM KEN WOODHOUSE IN WASHINGTON
COPIED TO BEN TANG IN LONDON (PLS. COPY TO LEEKS AT FCO)
RY
Lakan
11/12
ANTHONY WOO IN GENEVA (PLS COPY TO DELIA WALKER AT UKMIS)
MEETINGS WITH US IMMIGRATION AND NATURALISATION SERVICE (INS)
REPRESENTATIVES
I MET THE INS COMMISSIOER, AL NELSON, HIS DEPUTY, TOM FERGUSON, THE HEAD OF THE REFUGEE PROCESSING SECTION DELIA COMBS AND
THE VARIOUS SEVERAL AT HER INS REPRESENTATIVES TODAY (22 OCTOBER). MEETINGS FOLLOWED ONE ANOHTER THROUGHOUT THE DAY AND THE FOLLOWING ARE THE MAJOR ISSUES RAISED.
2.
INS WAS INVOLVED IN THE DRAFTING OF A US POSITION PAPER PRIOR TO EXCOM LINKING A CLEARER DEFINITION OF REFUGEE STATUS TO A MORE TRADITIONAL IMMIGRATION PROCESS FOR THOSE WHO DID NOT MEET THIS DEFINITION. THIS PAPER FORMED THE BASIS OF US THINKING FOR THE IGC WHICH SEEMED TO LEAN TOWARDS SCREENING AND REPATRIATION (BUT SEE MIFT).
3.
INS SEEM TO THINK THAT ANY RELAXATION OF THE P6 CUT-OFF DATE OR A MORE LIBERAL ATTITUTE TOWARDS P3 AND PS CASES COULD ONLY FOLLOW AN ATTEMPT (WHETHER SUCCESSFUL OR NOT) TO RATIONALISE THE PRESENT SITUATION (BY WHICH THEY MEAN DEAL WITH REFUGEES AND NON-REFUGEES ALONG THE LINES SET OUT IN PARA. 2 ABOVE).
4.
MUCH WAS MADE OF PUBLIC AND POLITICAL OPINION IN THE US
BUT THE INS REPRESENTATIVES AGAINST SENDING PEOPLE BACK TO VIETNAM. ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THIS ATTITUDE WAS INCONSISTANT WITH THE FACT THAT MANY REFUGEES HAVE BEEN REJECTED FOR RESETTLEMENT BY THE US. THEY SAID THAT THIS ILLUSTRATED THE DILEMMA IN WHICH THE US FOUND ITSELF.
*
THEY QUESTIONED THE REASONS FOR HMG'S REQUEST TO JOIN THE IGC AND I EMPHASISED THAT IT WAS NOT (NOT) TO LOBBY FOR ADDITIONAL HELP FOR HONG KONG. IT WAS A GENUINE ATTEMPT TO HELP PARTICIPATE IN
I POINTED OUT THAT HMG HAD THE DEVELOPMENT OF DURABLE SOLUTIONS. REPRESENTATION IN HANOI AND CONSIDERABLE INTERNATIONAL INFLUENCE.
IN PARTICULAR, THEY CHARGED THAT HMG SHOULD, THEREFORE, DO MORE AND, RENEW ITS OFFTAKE FROM HONG KONG. I REPLIED THAT THE UK OFFTAKE HAD
WE IN HONG KONG NOT (NOT) STOPPED, IT HAD MERELY BEEN INTERRUPTED. WERE HELPING TO CLARIFY THE EXACT NUMBERS INVOLVED, AFTER WHICH HMG WOULD DECIDE.
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