RESTRICTED
FM COLOMBO
TO ROUTINE FCO
RESTRICTED
001275 MDLIAN 6287
TELNO 240
OF 10093OZ MAY 88
INFO ROUTINE UKMIS GENEVA, NEW DELHI, OSLO
INFO SAVING MADRAS
MIPT :
EUROPEAN CONSULTATIONS ON ASYLUM-SEEKERS : GROUP ON TAMIL ASYLUM SEEKERS.
UNHCR WORK ING
1. FOLLOWING IS TEXT OF UNHCR PAPER ON RETURN OF SRI LANKAN TAMIL ASYLUM SEEKERS FROM EUROPE :
BEGINS
THOSE ASYLUM-SEEKERS WHO HAVE GONE THROUGH ALL STAGES OF ASYLUM PROCEDURES IN WHICH UNHCR PARTICIPATED AND FINALLY REJECTED MAY BE RETURNED TO THE COUNTRY OF ORIGIN, ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUCH RETURN ARE TO BE MADE BILATERALLY BETWEEN THE COUNTRY OF ASYLUM AND THE COUNTRY OF ORIGIN.
A SLYLUM APPLICATIONS WHICH HAVE BEEN REJECTED AFTER HAVING GONE THROUGH A PROCEDURE WITHOUT UNHCR PARTICIPATION, WILL BE REVIEWED BY UNHCR TO DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT THE APPLICANTS ARE OF ITS CONCERN. CASES NOT OF UNHCR CONCERN MAY BE RETURNED TO SRI LANKA IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PROCEDURE SIMILAR TO ABOVE CATEGORY.
&3
A GENERAL RULE, CASES FALLING UNDER THE CONVENTION/STATUTE DEFININTION OR DESERVING OTHER HUMANITARIAN STATUS SHOULD NOT BE RETURNED TO SRI LANKA EXCEPT ON A VOLUNTARY BASIS.
ALTHOUGH THE RETURN OF REJECTED CASES SHOULD BE CONSIDERED AS A BILATERAL ISSUE BETWEEN THE COUNTRY OF ASYLUM AND THE COUNTRY
THE OFFICE OF ORIGIN AND UNHCR HAS TRADITIONALLY NOT BEEN INVOLVED / IS WILLING ON HUMANITARIAN BASIS AND IN THE INTEREST OF THE INDIVIDUALS CONCERNED TO CONSIDER PROVIDING ASSISTANCE TOTHE RETURNES IN THE AREAS FALLING UNDER ITS CURRENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAMME WHERE THIS IS POSSIBLE.
ENDS
2. NEW DELHI PLEASE PASS TO MADRAS.
GLADSTONE
PAGE RESTRICTED
1