TNAG-1531-FCO40-2095-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-general-1987 — Page 171

CODE 18-77

AWO Ltd. 7/84

NOTE FOR THE FILE

CONFIDENTIAL

Reference.....

UN 243/4

CC: M T Trevan Esq, UND, FCO RV Court Esq, SEAD, FCO C Leeks Esq, HKD, FCO Chanceries: Hanoi

Bangkok Washington

ORDERLY DEPARTURE PROGRAMME (ODP)

RECORD OF A MEETING AT THE FRENCH MISSION ON 3 NOVEMBER 1986

1.

The French Mission called a meeting on 3 November, prior to UNHCR's ODP meeting, to discuss individual countries' problems with the ODP. Representatives from Australia, Japan, US, UK, FRG, France and Canada were present. Japan, the US and France indicated they intended to hold bilaterals with the Vietnamese delegation in Geneva.

French ODP

2. On 8 October the French had discussed their ODF with the Vietnamese Minister of Foreign Affairs during his visit to France. The Minister had told the French that 100,000 Vietnamese in the South (around Ho Chi Minh City) held exit visas, including 20,000 who wanted to go to France. (The French thought the majority of the 100,000 were of Chinese origin or mixed blood). These 100,000 were causing social problems by refusing to work or send their children to school. The Minister had asked France to help solve the problem of the 100,000. 3. The Minister had also denounced the people picked up by mercy ships, as the Vietnamese regarded these as "organised departures". Those ships carried Vietnamese who had exit visas but who wanted publicity and would not wait for legal departure. He had added that the mercy ships endangered the position of those waiting to leave under the ODP.

4. In reply the French Minister had suggested that, for each Vietnamese person requested by France, France could accept a Vietnamese person proposed by Vietnam. The French have not yet received a reply from the Vietnamese on this point.

CONFIDENTIAL

15.