2(f) (iv) RASRO/DISERO
LINE TO TAKE
CONFIDENTIAL
The United Kingdom maintains its support for RASRO and is prepared to
make the same maximum number of places (150) available in the coming
year. We do not take part in DISERO and have indicated from the onset
of RASRO that we will not agree to an amalgamation of the two schemes.
BACKGROUND
RASRO provides for participating countries to make available a specified
number of settlement places for refugees rescued at sea. The flag state
provides a guarantee of resettlement to the country of disembarkation.
DISERO provides a pool of resettlement places for refugees rescued by
ships flying flags of convenience or from countries which are not them-
selves prepared to offer resettlement. We have declined to participate
in this scheme, since while RASRO endeavours to share the burden
equitably, DISERO is in effect a method of transferring the responsibility
from a state which is not prepared to take any share of the burden.
It has been suggested that any unused 'places' under RASRO could be
carried forward to the next year or even used for other purposes.
This we do not accept: under RASRO we agree to accept a maximum number
of persons for a given year as a response to a particular need. The
global RASRO quota for 1985/6 of some 3,000 places was not filled but
Ministers agreed that the same maximum quota should be made available
for 1986/7.
CONFIDENTIAL