2.
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MANNER AS POSSIBLE TO SUCH A PROPOSAL IF A FURTHER TRAGIC HARDENING OF ATTITUDES OF THE COUNTRIES OF FIRST ASYLUM (ALREADY CLEARLY BEGUN) IS TO BE AVOIDED. WE THINK IT WOULD BE ESPECIALLY DANGEROUS IF AN ESSENTIALLY FORTHCOMING OFFER BY ASEAN WERE REJECTED OR LET DROP. YET WE FEAR THAT MIGHT BE THE UNHCR'S REACTION UNLESS IT IS CLEARLY UNDERSTOOD THAT MOST OF THE COUNTRIES OF RESETTLEMENT WILL SUPPORT SUCH A PROGRAM.
4. GIVEN THE PROBABLE CASELOAD OF REFUGEES IN HOLDING PATTERN IN SOUTHEAST ASIA OVER THE NEXT FEW YEARS (QUITE POSSIBLY SEVERAL HUNDRED THOUSAND), IT SEEMS LIKELY THAT SEVERAL SUCH CENTERS WILL BE NEEDED. WE BELIEVE, HOWEVER, THAT THE CONCEPT MUST BE DEVELOPED INITIALLY ON THE BASIS OF THE OFFER ANNOUNCED BY MOCHTAR. THEREAFTER, MALAYSIA, JAPAN AND OTHERS MIGHT ALSO OFFER SITES.
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5. WE STRONGLY BELIEVE THAT SPECIAL PROCESSING CENTERS (SPC) SHOULD BE LIMITED, AT LEAST INITIALLY, TO BOAT REFUGEES WITH THE POSSIBLE EXCEPTION OF CERTAIN LIMITED GROUPS SUCH AS POST-1975 VIETNAMESE REFUGEES IN THAILAND. THOSE TO BE TRANSFERRED TO THE SPC SHOULD BE REFUGEES WHO HAVE A RELATIVELY LOW PRIORITY FOR PROCESSING TO THE UNITED STATES OR ELSEWHERE BUT WHO WOULD BE CONSIDERED EVENTUALLY AS ELIGIBLE FOR INCLUSION IN SOME COUNTRY'S ADMISSION PROGRAM. WITH RESPECT TO REFUGEES DESTINED TO PROCEED. TO THE UNITED STATES, PRE-SCREENING COULD BE COMPLETED BEFORE THE IR DEPARTURE FOR SUCH A CAMP IN ORDER TO ASSURE THEIR EVENTUAL ACCEPTANCE INTO A USG PROGRAM. THEY WOULD BE WAITING NOT JUST FOR SPONSORS, HOWEVER; BUT FOR PROGRAM SPACES TO BECOME AVAILABLE FOR THEM IN THE UNITED STATES PROGRAM, A PERIOD THAT COULD BE FOR AS LONG AS SEVERAL YEARS. WE NOTE THAT THE FRENCH EXPRESSED THE THOUGHT THAT EXISTING CAMPS MIGHT SIMPLY BE REDESIGNATED AS SPC'S (REF B). WHILE SOME EXISTING CAMPS MIGHT EVENTUALLY BE SO DESIGNATED, WE BELIEVE THE CONCEPT OF THE SPC SHOULD BE AS A PROCESSING CENTER FOR THOSE FACING A LONGER WAIT AND QUITE SEPARATE FROM NORMAL FIRST ASYLUM CAMPS.
6. WE RECOGNIZE THAT THE RTG MIGHT WISH TO SEE LAND REFUGEES ALSO INCLUDED IN SUCH INTERNATIONAL CENTERS. WHILE SOME ACCOMMODATION MAY BE POSSIBLE, AS NOTED, WE DO NOT BELIEVE THAT SUCH NUMBERS CAN BE VERY GREAT. UNLIKE THE BOAT CASES, FOR WHOM OUR LONG TERM COMMITMENT IS THE RESETTLEMENT OF ALL SUCH REFUGEES NOT ACCEPTED BY THIRD COUNTRY COUNTRIES, IT IS CLEARLY UNDERSTOOD THAT MANY LAND CAMP REFUGEES WILL NEVER LEAVE THAILAND. WE BELIEVE IT IS IMPORTANT TO SEEK ALTERNATIVE WAYS OF EASING THAILAND'S CONCERNS, INCLUDING INCREASED THIRD COUNTRY RESETTLEMENT AND THE POSSIBILITY OF A CONSORTIUM OF NATIONS TO FINANCE THE PERMANENT RESETTLEMENT OF REFUGEES FROM LAOS EITHER IN THAILAND OR IN OTHER LESS DEVELOPED COUNTRIES, SUCH AS IN LATIN AMERICA. THE PRINCIPAL BENEFITS OF A THIRD COUNTRY SPC TO THAILAND, HOWEVER
HOWEVER, IS THAT
TOTAL RESETTLEMENT OFFERS WILL BE MADE MORE EFFECTIVE AND, THUS, MORE NUMBERS COULD EVENTUALLY BE MADE AVAILABLE TO RESETTLE LAND REFUGEES.
7. WE DO NOT BELIEVE THAT THE SPC WOULD BE USEFUL AS A STAGING CENTER FOR THOSE WHO HAVE ALREADY BEEN ACCEPTED FOR RESETTLEMENT ELSEWHERE IF THIS IS MEANT TO INCLUDE REFUGEES FULLY PROCESSED EXCEPT THAT THEY ARE WAITING FOR SPONSORS. THIS PROPOSAL WOULD APPLY PRIMARILY TO THE USG PROGRAM WHICH MOVES REFUGEES ONLY AFTER SPONSORSHIP IS AVAILABLE. HOWEVER, THE VOLUNTARY AGENCIES HAVE CURRENTLY STEPPED UP THE RATE AT WHICH THEY CAN PROVIDE SPONSOR ASSURANCES SO THAT WE HAVE BECOME CONVINCED THAT THIS IS NOT A SIGNIFICANT MOVEMENT CONSTRAINT. WE EXPECT TO BUILD UP OUR PROCESSING PIPELINE FOR ACTUAL MOVEMENT FROM ASIA TO 7,000 REFUGEES PER MONTH BY MARCH OF THIS YEAR. THUS, EVEN FOR NEW BOAT ARRIVALS, WE BELIEVE OUT-PROCESSING FOR CATEGORIES I AND II REFUGEES AND SOME CATEGORY III'S SHOULD CONTINUE FROM THE COUNTRY OF FIRST ASYLUM SINCE THEIR STAY THERE WOULD BE RELATIVELY BRIEF. REFUGEES EXPECTING A LONGER WAIT WOULD BE TRANSFERRED TO A HOLDING CENTER. IN THE CASE OF DIRECT ARRIVAL AT A HOLDING
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