TNAG-1531-FCO40-2095-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-general-1987 — Page 173

CODE 18-77

AWO Ltd.

7/84

CONFIDENTIAL

Reference.......................................

-

3

Vietnam had also indicated that they wanted to waive interviews: the US could not agree, as they had to determine the applicant's identity. This especially applied to the Amerasians, who were all born before 1975. As far as the US were concerned the ODP had to be reciprocal and Vietnam had accepted this in 1982 and 1983.

13. Vietnam had unilaterally suspended the US programme on 1 January 1986 because of the backlog caused by their issuing exit visas to persons who had not been interviewed or accepted. The US felt that, given the size of the US programme,

it was however normal to have a backlog.

Canadian ODP

14.

The Canadians confirmed they shared the objective of the ODP, but their programme was a bilateral one

It and had been underway before the ODP had started. was essentially for family reunion cases.

15. There had been a recent significant drop in the number of departures under the Canadian ODP and recently, some interviews during Canadian interviewing visits had been cancelled.

16.

In mid-October the Vietnamese had confirmed their continued commitment to legal emigration and to the Canadian family reunion programme. However, the Canadians felt that Vietnam wished to run down the number of legal departures. Vietnam had accepted the Canadian schedule of visits for 1987 and revised operational procedures.

17. The Canadians wondered whether the aim to run down the ODP reflected a debate in the Vietnamese leadership as to whether it was better for people to stay and build the new Vietnam instead of providing a legal means of departure for them. The December Party Congress might give a clearer direction about his internal debate.

Japanese ODP

18. Japan had received 185 Vietnamese since the beginning of their ODP and only four family reunion cases. They were interested in continuing their programme but felt the numbers were still very low. They had submitted a list to the Vietnamese, but had to date had no satisfactory reply. The Japanese intended to ask the Vietnamese to increase the number of acceptances under the Japanese ODP and to reduce the time taken to process cases.

CONFIDENTIAL

/Australian