CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
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042156
MDHIAN 3482
1 M D M 243 19
TRIME
DISTRI
TRIBUTION WORRECTION TO PARA 7)
(AMENDED DIS
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
FM HONG KONG
TELNO 1424
OF 05110OZ MAY 89
INFO IMMEDIATE WASHINGTON, UKMIS GENEVA, PEKING
INFO PRIORITY HANOI, MANILA
198) (99)
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YRTELNOS 956, 957 AND 958: VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE: THE WAY AHEAD
1. WE HAVE THE FOLLOWING COMMENTS ON TURS.
OVERSPILL CENTRE OUTSIDE HONG KONG
2. THIS WOULD CLEARLY BE A VERY USEFUL OPTION BUT WE NEED TO DISTINGUISH THIS CONCEPT FROM THAT OF THE REGIONAL HOLDING CENTRE (RHC). THE RHC IS INTENDED TO HOUSE NON REFUGEES WHO ARE DESTINED FOR REPATRIATION. THE OVERSPILL CENTRE WOULD HOUSE UNSCREENED ASYLUM SEEKERS. SCREENING WOULD, WE ASSUME, TAKE PLACE IN THE OVERSPILL CENTRE. REPATRIATION AND RESETTLEMENT COULD EITHER TAKE PLACE DIRECT FROM THERE, OR THE OVERSPILL CENTRE COULD SUBSEQUENTLY BY DEVELOPED INTO, OR OPERATE IN CONJUNCTION WITH, THE RHC.
3. SUBJECT TO VIEWS FROM UKMIS GENEVA, WE AGREE THAT IT WOULD BE WORTH APPROACHING UNHCR ON THE LINES OF PARA 3(A)-(C) OF SECOND TUR.
VOLUNTARY REPATRIATION AND SCREENING
4. WE AGREE THAT WE ARE UNLIKELY TO GET A LARGE NUMBER OF PEOPLE VOLUNTEERING FOR REPATRIATION UNTIL ALL HOPE OF RESETTLEMENT HAS BEEN EXTINGUISHED, IF THEN. THIS MEANS IN PRACTICE THAT THEY MUST HAVE GONE THROUGH THE SCREENING AND APPEALS PROCEDURES AND HAVE BEEN DENIED REFUGEE STATUS. WE BEGAN A REVIEW OF THE SCREENING AND APPEALS PROCEDURES SOME WEEKS AGO AND HAVE HAD SOME DISCUSSIONS WITH UNHCR. IT IS CLEARLY IMPORTANT THAT WE MAINTAIN UNHCR INVOLVEMENT.
5. OUR REVIEW IS CLOSE TO COMPLETION. WE ARE AIMING FOR PROCEDURES WHICH WOULD ENABLE US TO DEAL WITH THE CURRENT BACKLOG WITHIN ONE YEAR AND TO DEAL WITH NEW CASES WITHIN 3 MONTHS OF ARRIVAL IN HONG KONG. AT THE SCREENING STAGE THIS WILL AMOUNT TO STREAMLINING PROCEDURES AND MAKING ADDITIONAL RESOURCES AVAILABLE. AT THE APPEALS STAGE, WE BELIEVE IT WILL BE NECESSARY TO ESTABLISH AN APPEALS BOARD AND THIS WILL REQUIRE LEGISLATION.
6. ON VOLUNTARY REPATRIATION, WE AND UNHCR, ARE CO-OPERATING ON THE
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CONFIDENTIAL