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REVIEWING THEIR IMMIGRATION POLICIES AND PROPOSED SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN THEM, IN PARTICULAR MAJOR REDUCTIONS IN MASS RESETTLEMENT FROM INDO-CHINA AND AN END TO THE USE OF REFUGEE FUNDS FOR SUCH PROGRAMMES. THEY HAD THEREFORE EMBARKED ON
DISCUSSIONS WITH VIETNAM IN AN EFFORT TO RE-ALIGN THE ODP ALONG MORE NORMAL MIGRATION LINES. AUSTRALIA ALSO FLATLY REFUSED TO BE A PARTY TO ANY PUBLIC CRITICISM, HOWEVER CAREFULLY PHRASED, OF THE THAI GOVERNMENT AND ALSO OBJECTED TO A CRITICAL PRIVATE DEMARCHE BY THE ICG AS A GROUP, TO THE THAIS.
4.
CANADA
THE
THESE OPPOSING VIEWS WERE UNRESOLVED AND PROMPTED AT TIMES HEATED DEBATE, WITH THE US EMPHASISING, AT TIMES IN EMOTIONAL TERMS, THE NEED TO MAINTAIN HUMANITARIAN PRINCIPLES BY ALLOWING ALL THOSE WISHING TO FLEE VIETNAM THE RIGHT OF FIRST ASYLUM. THE
US WERE HOWEVER PREPARED TO CONTEMPLATE THE IDEA OF PUTTING THOSE
WHO DID NOT MEET REFUGEE CRITERIA IN CLOSED CENTRES WITHOUT ACCESS TO RESETTLEMENT, AND TO AGREE TO THE REPATRIATION OF ECONOMIC MIGRANTS. AUSTRALIA'S VIEW WAS THAT RESETTLEMENT HAD BECOME PART OF THE PROBLEM AND THE MOST PRESSING NEED WAS THEREFORE FOR EFFECTIVE DETERRENTS TO ILLEGAL DEPARTURES.
AND AUSTRALIA WERE STILL KEEN TO SEE SCREENING INTRODUCED. GROUP EVENTUALLY AGREED ON A FAIRLY ANODYNE RESTATEMENT OF PRINCIPLES, QUOTE AS TO INITIATIVES WHICH COULD BE TAKEN IN THE CONTEXT OF EACH COUNTRY'S BROADER STRATEGIES IN THE AREA UNQUOTE. THIS INCLUDES GREATER EMPHASIS ON THE NEED TO PROMOTE AND SUSTAIN DIALOGUE WITH THE VIETNAMESE GOVERNMENT IN AN EFFORT TO TACKLE THE PROBLEM AT SOURCE. SIGNIFICANTLY, FOR THE FIRST TIME THERE WAS ALSO AGREEMENT ON QUOTE THE NEED TO PROVIDE AN APPROPRIATE RESPONSE TO THE DIFFERING NEEDS OF ARRIVALS DEPENDING ON THE VALIDITY OF THEIR CLAIMS TO INTERNATIONAL REFUGEE PROTECTION
UNQUOTE.
5. AID.
THE UNHCR PRESENTED A PAPER ON THE POSSIBILITY OF PROVIDING AID TO VIETNAM TO HELP WITH REPATRIATION BOTH ON A VOLUNTARY BASIS AND OF THOSE SCREENED OUT UNDER ANY PROGRAMMES WHICH MIGHT BE INTRODUCED. THEY HAD UNDERTAKEN TO PROVIDE SUCH A PAPER FOLLOWING THE LAST MEETING OF THE GROUP IN GENEVA LAST OCTOBER. THE PROPOSALS ARE CLOSELY BASED ON EXISTING PROGRAMMES IN LAOS AND CAMBODIA. HOWEVER, HOMANN-HERIMBERG (UNHCR) STRESSED THAT THERE WAS A MAJOR DIFFERENCE BETWEEN LAOS WHICH WAS UNDERPOPULATED AND FACED SKILL SHORTAGES IN MANY SECTORS, AND OVER-POPULATED VIETNAM. FURTHERMORE, THE LAO AND CAMBODIAN PROGRAMMES ARE RURAL. URBAN RESETTLEMENT WOULD BE AN ESSENTIAL
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