TNAG-1427-FCO40-1910-Vietnamese-refugees-in-Hong-Kong-general-1986 — Page 202

tance.

Still,

indicated a commitment to providing permanent settlement.

the international community has done little to see that income

generation and self-reliance activities gain higher priority in

the use of international funds to Thailand for refugee assis-

There must be incentives and disincentives that countries

of resettlement could provide that would encourage Thailand to

place a higher priority on developing the refugees as resources

rather that viewing them as threats to national sovereignty and

liabilities to development.

Immigration

With greater time in their countries of resettlement more

and more resettled refugees are becoming eligible for naturaliza-

tion; thereafter they will be able to apply for immigrant visas

for their family members. Countries of immigration should

encourage this process by notifying resettled refugee groups to

file for immigrant visas as a first, not last, resort as a means

of bringing their relatives. At the present time, a person has

to wait a minimum of three years to enter under Fifth Preference

(brothers and sisters of U.S. citizens) because of a worldwide

backlog in this category.

Special Humanitarian Admissions

At some point, and it is time to begin preparations for

it, there will be a need for a coordinated effort on the part of

the international community to deal with the accumulated cases of

special humanitarian concern in Thailand and elsewhere in the

region that could not be resettled through a refugee program.

New legislative or administrative authorities will be required in

9