10.
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Despite the goodwill and cordial relations of both parties the current situation is, unfortunately, at an impasse. In order to break the impasse, UNHCR is making the following proposal (See Part C).
C. Elements of the UNHCR Proposal to the Government:
1.
Upon landing in the Philippines, UNIICR would agree to immediately collect from their points of arrival all Vietnamese purporting to be genuine first-asylum refugees and take them to the PRTC, Manila for further assessment and in-processing.
2.
·
While in the PRTC at UNHCR expense, UNHCR would conduct initial screening and assessment of their refugee status.
3.
For those persons found to be genuine refugees, UNICR would continue its current practice of organizing their transfer to the UNHCR-financed PFAC on Palawan and arranging their eventual resettlement from the Philippines to third countries.
4.
However, for those persons not found to be genuine refugees (such as ex-China resettlees), the Government would agree to immediately remove them to a Government-operated non-refugee facility until their return to the PRC could be arranged. While the Government would run this non-refugee facility and provide all requisites, UNHCR would agree to reimburse daily per capita food costs at usual rates of expenditure on such persons. Actual modalities and other considerations could be further and flexibly discussed and arranged bilaterally between the CID and the UNHCR.
6.
Meanwhile, the Government would itself interview these ex-China cases to ascertain their correct names, dates of birth and places of former residence in China (PRC) so as to enable PRC confirmation of previous resettlement in China.
6.
Once this information has been obtained, the Government (MFA) would transmit the list of names and addressess in China to the PRC Embassy in Manila for its confirmation of their previous resettlement in China and its eventual authorization for their return (whether voluntary or not) to the PRC. Voluntary return is usually more quickly authorized by the PRC (4-6 months) than is involuntary return (6-18 months).
7.
Indeed,
Once these confirmations have been received, the Government (MFA and CID) would bilaterally arrange this return with the PRC Embassy. UNHCR would agree to pay reasonable transportation costs for these returning ex-China cases. PRC authorization for the return of the 24 requesting such voluntary return has now been obtained. Their physical return now be arranged (UNHCR letter to the MFA, MNL/6556 dated 2 June 1986, refers).
8.
While in these, non-refugee facilities, the Government could periodically encourage all ex-China cases to request
can
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