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112367 MDHOAN 4365
(B)
(C)
(D)
3.
IS UNDER GREAT PRESSURE AS A PLACE OF FIRST ASYLUM. IT HAD 34,000 CLAIMANTS FOR ASYLUM IN 1987 AND EXPECTS 70,000 SUCH CLAIMANTS THIS YEAR. AS A RESULT CANADA TO0 IS REVIEWING
ITS POLICY.
ON THAILAND THERE WAS A LENGTHY DISCUSSION OF PUSH-OFFS. THE OVERALL CONCLUSION WAS THAT SOME OF THOSE WHO WERE ATTEMPTING TO ARRIVE WERE INDEED REFUGEES AND THAT THESE SHOULD BE OFFERED ASYLUM. IN PRACTICAL TERMS THIS MEANT PERMITTING ALL WOULD-BE ARRIVALS TO LAND TO ENABLE GENUINE REFUGEES TO BE IDENTIFIED.
ON THOSE WHO DO NOT MEET REFUGEE CRITERIA, CANADA AND AUSTRALIA REMAIN STRODGLY IN FAVOUR OF SCREENING. THE GUIDANCE PAPER REFERS TO QUOTE THE DIFFERING NEEDS OF ARRIVALS DEPENDING ON THE VALIDITY OF THEIR CLAIMS TO INTERNATIONAL PROTECTION UNQUOTE. DURING THE MEETING IT WAS CLEAR THAT ALL PRESENT, INCLUDING THE US, WERE PREPARED TO CONTEMPLATE DETENTION PENDING REPATRIATION TO VIETNAM OF THOSE SCREENED OUT. BUT THE US MAY HAVE DIFFICULTY IN ACCEPTING NO ACCESS ON THE LINES OF THE THAI MODEL. WERE ALSO NOT CLEAR ON HOW THEY WOULD WISH TO TREAT THOSE WHO MEET US RESETTLEMENT REQUIREMENTS BUT NOT (NOT) REFUGEE REQUIREMENTS. THE MAIN CONCERN WAS THAT PROPER ARRANGEMENTS SHOULD BE MADE TO IDENTIFY GENUINE REFUGEES FOR
THE US
RESETTLEMENT. UNHCR WAS ALSO CONCERNED THAT SCREENING WOULD INSTITUTIONALISE THE DE FACTO SCREENING OUT WHICH NOW TAKES
PLACE, AND WONDERED HOW THOSE SCREENED OUT WOULD BE HANDLED. THEY WOULD PREFER SCREENING OUT TO BE PRECEDED BY INCREASING PRESSURE ON VIETNAM TO ACCEPT THE RETURN OF THOSE WHO DO NOT MEET STANDARD REFUGEE CRITERIA.
ON AID TO VIETNAM, UNHCR TABLED A PAPER WHICH WILL PROBABLY BE DISCUSSED FURTHER IN THE CONTACT GROUP. INITIAL REACTIONS WERE THAT ANY PROGRAMME COULD ONLY START IN A MODEST WAY (PERHAPS AS PART OF ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE RETURN OF THE LIMITED NUMBER OF HONG KONG VOLUNTARY RETURN CASES), AND THAT UNHCR'S PROPOSALS WERE A LITTLE AMBITIOUS. BUT DELEGATIONS ALL AGREED TO CONSIDER UNHCR'S PAPER. ALTHOUGH JAPAN HAD SOME RESERVATIONS ON TIMING, NO OBJECTIONS WERE RAISED TO ITS GENERAL AIMS, AND THERE WAS GENERAL AGREMENT THAT UNHCR COULD NOW SOUND OUT THE VIETNAMESE.
THE CANADIAN AND AUSTRALIAN PARTICIPANTS INDICATED PRIVATELY TO US AT THE WORKING LEVEL THEIR PERSONAL VIEW THAT, HONG KONG WERE TO INTRODUCE A SCREENING OUT PROGRAMME, THEIR GOVERNMENTS WOULD CONSIDER POSITIVELY JOINING AN
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