TNAG-1275-FCO40-1625-Resettlement-of-Vietnamese-refugees-from-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 68

MEMORANDUM

:

concerning a proposed scheme

for Rescue At Sea Resettlement Offers (RASRO)

to facilitate the resettlement of

refugees rescued at sea

:

1.

2.

3.

Since the beginning of the boat people phenomenon in South East Asia a significant number of these sea- borne refugees who found themselves in distress at sea had to be rescued by passing, mainly commercial, vessels. Over the past several years, some 14,000 Viet- namese refugees have been rescued each year by merchant vessels operating in the South China Sea. In 1982 some 12% of all boat people arriving in the region were picked up.

The disembarkation of these refugees rescued at sea created a particular problem as the port of call states often demanded resettlement guarantees before they allowed the refugees to disembark in their territories. As a result of these demands and in consonance with the spirit of international solidarity most of the. flag states provided the required guarantees.

A particular difficulty relating to countries opera- ting an "open registry" (so-called "flags of conve- nience") and some other countries which, due to their particular circumstances, would not agree to take persons rescued by their ships for permanent resettle- ment in their territories, was largely remedied by an arrangement known as DISERO (Disembarkation Resett- lement Offers). Under that arrangement a number of countries agreed to take each year a specific numbeI of this category of persons for resettlement in their territories. This was done to encourage countries operating "open registry" and other states referred to above to rescue refugees in distress at sea. The DISERO system has provided for relatively easy disen- barkation of the persons concerned.

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