TNAG-0894-FCO40-1104-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1979 — Page 167

DSR 11C

but it might

eventually be

alternative to accepting this liability, as a counterpart to the

smooth operation of the first port of call principle and in the

interests of avoiding losses to shipowners. Once disembarcation

had taken place attempts would still be made, through the UNHCR,

"last resort"

Dio.

to reduce the demands foryimmigration to the UK, If the flow

of refugees could be xedazedzaz moderated by "orderly departure"

necessary to accep or otherwise, the incidence of ships cases should decrease sharply.

IBe provision of international processing centres (paragraph 23,

such cases as

additional to the

UK quota.

also

Note) could/help in the way indicated but this would cause problems

in connection with the contractual law of deviation from normal

routes.

SEARCH AND RESCUE

seem

11. From a humanitarian point of view it would impossible to

reject proposals to conduct search and rescue operations. They do

however raise serious problems of finance and resettlement, and

proposes

*

paragraph 24 iaxeizeomscribedxbxxthe×zaquixement that States whose

nationals mount such operations must themselves agierzia accept

responsibility (ie on a last resort basis) for resettlement.

FLAGS OF CONVENIENCE

12.

The paper refers at various points to the position of Flag of

Convenience: states and the problems they may pose for the

$

better regulation of maritime aspects of the refugeessituation.

No separate section exists on this factor, however, for two

reasons;

a.

b.

there is no clear evidence that FoC vessels behave less well

than others; the main difficulty is that in paragraph 16,

namaely that FoC states' ability to accept last resort

responsibility for resettelement is limited.

the UK argues in other fora against France, in particular -

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