TNAG-1523-FCO40-2087-Hong-Kong-Parliamentary-Sub-Committee-on-Race-Relations-and--1986 — Page 178

LK

+

IMG/85 72/170/4

Mr Rawsthorne

fit (scones)

KK 243/1

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY

03 JAN1986

DESK OFFICER INDEX

сс

Mr Phillips

Mr Burleigh

Mrs Lee

Mr McDowall Mr Handley

Mr Leeks HKD

Į REGISTRY

PA

Action Taken

Mr Wildash UND Mrs Wyeth ODA

구

(306)

(85)

UNHCR'S FINANCIAL DIFFICULTIES: VIETNAMESE FAMILY REUNIONS

304) Lick 2434 (85).

1. In your note of 14 October you/asked me to make enquiries and provide advice MKK 243/2 about Mr von Arnim's letter of 8 October. You may recall that I was about to

offer advice once the letter from ODA (doc 24) had arrived, but the round of correspondence between UND and UKMIS Geneva (beginning at doc 26) permitted us to wait a while. That correspondence has now moved forward, culminating in the helpful letter of 13 December from Mr Wildash to Miss Walker.

472 HK 243 12 (85)

Mr Wildash's letter (about which I was not consulted) effectively means that we must promptly reply to Mr von Arnim.

2.

3. We now have ample evidence (in the file) from various sources (including ODA, and other, less impartial sources) of UNHCR's difficulties. However, UNHCR have continued to co-operate with us in the family reunion programme. The travel costs of the first 2 batches (a total of 35 persons by Christmas) are being met in the first instance by ICM, who will claim a refund from UNHCR. The latest intelligence (doc 26) is that UNHCR will not seek reimbursement from HMG, as had been expected, for the costs of the initial batch of 21 persons. But the overall and subsequent position remains uncertain, even though UNHCR's approaches appear now to be faltering.

4. We have established that there are no IND funds to meet any of these costs in 1985-86, and VSU have already reduced their provision for the current financial year in view of budget difficulties elsewhere in the Office. Both IND and VSU also have anxieties about the precedential implications of funding these travel costs. ODA's position is made quite clear in the attachment (doc 24A) to Mrs Wyeth's letter. All in all, therefore, we have drawn a blank and must reply in the terms that we had all along expected we would have to draft.

5. However, the passing of time enables us to strike something of a positive tone in our reply. Mr Raison has agreed the ODA proposal to direct £100K to UNHCR's special appeal for Indo-Chinese resettlement funds (as referred to in the recent correspondence). The cash is being provided for such things as medical clearances, selection procedures, and internal travel: External travel costs are specifically excluded. UNHCR were to be advised of the decision before Christmas.

6. A draft reply is attached. In this I have not attempted specifically to counter the statement about the United Kingdom and France appearing to be ungenerous; you may wish to keep Miss Walker's information (doc 29, paragraph 3) to hand in the event of Mr von Arnim's likely follow-up telephone call. The draft takes up the points about numbers and minors in the way indicated in your subsequent telephone conversation with Mr von Arnim.

B1 Division

S C WELLS

31 December 1985