CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 868
OF 131130Z MARCH 89
INFO IMMEDIATE UKMIS GENEVA
CONFIDENTIAL
027454
MDHIAN 6487
VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE: PREPARATIONS FOR THE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON INDOCHINESE REFUGEES (ICIR)
1. FOLLOWING THE SUCCESS OF THE KL PREPARATORY MEETING, WE ARE NOW STARTING TO THINK ABOUT THE WORK OF THE CO-ORDINATING COMMITTEE AND ITS WORKING GROUPS. SEEN FROM HERE, THE GENERAL OBJECTIVE WILL BE TO ENSURE THAT A SERIES OF DETAILED SUBSIDIARY DOCUMENTS ARE PREPARED FOR ENDORSEMENT BY THE ICIR ALONG WITH THE CPA. THE CPA IS, WE HOPE, UNLIKELY TO CHANGE MUCH, IF AT ALL, BETWEEN THE PREPARATORY MEETING AND THE ICIR. IT WILL THEREFORE BE ESSENTIAL TO ENSURE THAT THE DETAIL IS SET OUT AND AGREED IN THESE SUBSIDIARY DOCUMENTS. WE RECOMMEND THAT THE OBJECTIVES IN THE SPECIFIC WORK AREAS OF THE SUB-COMMITTEES SHOULD BE AS FOLLOWS:
(A) RECEPTION AND STATUS DETERMINATION: THE OBJECTIVE SHOULD BE TO
RESIST ANY MAJOR CHANGES TO OUR SCREENING AND APPEALS PROCEDURES: WE SHOULD AIM TO ENSURE THAT ANY SUBSIDIARY DOCUMENT TO EMERGE FROM THIS GROUP WILL BE SOMETHING SIMILAR (ON GENERAL PRINCIPLES) TO THE STATEMENT OF UNDERSTANDING AGREED BETWEEN HKG AND UNHCR LAST SEPTEMBER. WE SHOULD RESIST ANY ATTEMPT TO IMPOSE A UNIFORM AND INFLEXIBLE SYSTEM OF SCREENING FOR THE REGION. ALTHOUGH THE GENERAL PRINCIPLES ARE COMMON, THE ARRANGEMENTS IN EACH COUNTRY OR TERRITORY WILL HAVE TO TAKE ACCOUNT OF NATIONAL LAWS. UNHCR WILL NO DOUBT SEEK TO ESTABLISH GUIDELINES FOR ACCOMMODATION. ALTHOUGH WE NEED TO BE CAUTIOUS ABOUT THE FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS OF THESE GUIDELINES, WE WOULD NOT EXPECT TO HAVE ANY MAJOR PROBLEMS ON THIS ISSUE.
(B) RESETTLEMENT: IT WILL BE IMPORTANT TO GET BEYOND A GENERAL STATEMENT OF PRINCIPLE ON RESETTLEMENT PLEDGES AND PIN DOWN SPECIFIC NUMBERS AND A TIMETABLE. IDEALLY WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE A 3 YEAR ROLLING PROGRAMME WITH RESETTLEMENT PLEDGES SPECIFIED IN A DOCUMENT TO BE ENDORSED BY THE ICIR. THIS IS PRIMARILY A MATTER FOR THE UK AND THE OTHER RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES: BUT THERE CAN BE NO DOUBT THAT ALL OF THE FIRST ASYLUM COUNTRIES WILL BE LOOK FOR RESETTLEMENT PLEDGES WHICH WILL CLEAR THE REFUGEE BACKLOG IN NO MORE THAN 3-4 YEARS AND WHICH WILL CONTINUE THEREAFTER TO PROVIDE
PAGE
1
CONFIDENTIAL