11 UNHCR Voluntary Repatriation Scheme
Agreement between UNHCR and Vietnamese Government signed on 8
February 1989. Vietnam guaranteed that no returnees under the scheme would suffer persecution and allowed UNHCR access to them for monitoring purposes.
More than 23,000 (over 18,000 from Hong Kong) have been returned
under the scheme. Not a single substantial case of persecution.
- 6,368 have returned voluntarily from Hong Kong since our ORP was
announced on 29 October 1991 (3,704 so far in 1992). Over 1,000 a
month on average. (See also Note 10).
12 Possibility of Accelerating Process of returning illegal
immigrants to Vietnam
- It is difficult for Vietnam to integrate large numbers of
returnees.
It is also essential that the numbers returning should
remain at a level within the UNHCR's monitoring capacity.
Reintegration must be undertaken with dignity and must be
successful. We do not want to provoke further moves of clandestine
emigration.
The great majority of returnees are volunteers under the UNHCR
programme. There are about 5 flights a month, with a maximum capacity of 250 per flight.
- There will be mandatory flights about once a month, carrying 50-60
passengers. The purpose of the flights is primarily to return those who do not volunteer and secondly by showing Vietnamese migrants
that we have the means to effect repatriation to encourage the
maximum number to return voluntarily under UNHCR auspices.
- There is no advantage in increasing the rate of mandatory returns. It is the voluntary returns which will empty the camps.
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