TNAG-1527-FCO40-2091-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-general-1986 — Page 56

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Procedural Paper

The RASRO Transit Centre in Hong Kong

ANNEX 5

At

1. The RASRO Transit Centre (RTC) is for the exclusive use of countries participating in the RASRO (Rescue at Sea Resettlement Offers) scheme. present these countries are: Australia, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Greece, Japan, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States of America.

2.

3.

Only refugees rescued at sea are eligible for transit through the RTC.

All costs involved in the care and maintenance of refugees in the RTC will be met by UNHCR.

4.

A maximum of 100 refugees will be in transit at any one time.

5. The maximum length of stay in the RTC for any refugee will on no account exceed 180 days.

6. Movement to the RTC will be made at UNHCR's request to the Hong Kong authorities. This request must be accompanied by a written guarantee from a RASRO participant country. This guarantee must state clearly that if a refugee or group of refugees remains in Hong Kong at the end of the 180-day period, they will be resettled in the country of guarantee. (Example letters of guarantee are attached.)

7. Should a country provide a guarantee yet fail to move a refugee after 180 days, no further applications from that country for use of the RTC would be considered until the refugee leaves Hong Kong.

8.

Current procedures for rescued refugees disembarked in Hong Kong will continue, i.e. a disembarkation guarantee will be required from the RASRO flag state. If the refugee remains in Hong Kong at the end of a 90-day period, he will be transferred to the RTC following the procedures outlined in this paper, i.e. a further guarantee will be required to cover fully the additional maximum 180-day stay requested.

9. On no account will requests be granted to transit refugees disembarked from any "mercy ship", even if such a vessel flies a flag of a RASRO member country.