TNAG-1420-FCO40-1903-Hong-Kong-Parliamentary-Sub-Committee-on-Race-Relations-and--1985 — Page 61

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contribution to the debate, to point out that we had never, and did not now anticipate

such an amalgamation which would, in effect, be the equivalent of accepting a further

quota of Vietnamese refugees. We have clearly stipulated from the first considerations

of RASRO that we would not participate in DISERO but it is more than ever likely that,

when RASRO is reviewed after 12 months' operation, the pressure will again be applied

for us to join since one non-participant will prohibit amalgamation.

8.

Irregular Movements

The paper which is now to be considered in the Executive Committee and which combines

the two elements of irregular movements and fraudulent, or absent, documentation has,

as already indicated, only been arrived at after much heart-searching by UNHCR and as

much, if not more, intense lobbying by and of delegations. I take the view, and so

indicated in the Sub-Committee on Protection, that its production is a considerable

achievement and that to quibble over words or phrases when the general import is a

step in the right direction for Western receiving States would be reckless. We have

now what was lacking before, namely an obligation on UNHCR to assist in the return

of such cases to safe first countries of asylum and a general condemnation of

fraudulent or absent documentation with clear repercussions upon those who seek entry and asylum in such a manner. The quid pro quo is a duty on States to provide for

incentives to asylum seekers to remain within their region of origin by espousing

education, employment and development schemes under the auspices of UNHCR. It might,

however, be borne in mind that this step towards what might be seen as regionalisation

can have repercussions in the European field. Turkey, for example, will press for

some assistance from Western Europe in resettling Iranian asylum seekers who are

tolerated in Turkey (Turkey not having lifted the geographical limitation to the 1951

Convention) but who need resettlement elsewhere. This is something to be pursued

outside EXCom but it would be as well to anticipate that such an approach may follow.

9. Other Matters

I have already recorded, in a separate note, my contact with the Tanzanian

representative about the hi-jackers. Today, I have been informed by the Swiss Embassy

in London that the meeting requested by the Swiss authorities to discuss Tamil policy

with the Netherlands, the Federal Republic and ourselves is now arranged for

8 October in Geneva. I shall report back upon my return from EXCom. There was no mention made to me about our response to SCORRI on refugees. I took three copies of

/the publication with