TNAG-1530-FCO40-2094-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-general-1986 — Page 16

CONFIDENTIAL

It

September respectively calling on them to cease issuing transit visas to persons without a valid visa for their destination. would be appropriate for the Home Secretary to mention the GDR announcement and congratulate Zimmermann on what, it is hoped, is a successful resolution of the Berlin aspect of the problem.

much

The Bonn

4. Prior to the GDR announcement, Chancellor Kohl announced on 27 August a series of domestic measures, including fines for airlines which bring asylum seekers and tighter procedures for processing applications, designed to show that the government was taking action. Though the closing of the Berlin loophole should ease the pressure, the flow of asylum seekers into the FRG via other routes is likely to continue, albeit at a reduced level. Government will wish to pursue the problem, as Kohl had earlier announced, in the context of work on harmonisation of alien and asylum laws and practices in the Community (and the Council of Europe). Zimmermann (and the CSU) appear to hope that the FRG will thereby be forced to make its rules and practice stricter; but this

by approach is not fully shared by the CDU, still less the FDP or the

Λ

SPD.

Postscript

The

GDR

measures

introducid

ал

of anglum riches

слуват

wito

Wert Berlin

to

a

truchle

1 October have reduced the flow

But the

problem of minigrants entering the

FRG

and as

itill

a

dimentic

iime in the

by other FRG.

routes remains

The

Western European Department

Foreign and Commonwealth Office 23 September 1986

to

}

Kohl Government

need to demnstrate (in the

run up

the Bundestag electin

they

January 1987) that

actum

hence

the

devise to

put

the

all

agenda of

including the EPC

the fandan

[SEE

CONFIDENTIAL

ALSO

ni

are

tabing

West Genna

in the

quertun forble meetings,

Ministerial and

kwoherm Council виорали

ECD(I) CONTRIBUTION]

GB Reid 3/1