TNAG-1542-FCO40-2106-United-Nations-High-Commissioner-for-Refugees-(UNHCR)-Execut-1986 — Page 123

CONFIDENTIAL

There have been reports of attempts by anti-Sandinista Indian groups to prevent voluntary repatriation. However, some 800 Indians voluntarily returned to Nicaragua during 1985 and 1,000 in 1986. A further 4,000 in 1986 appear to have returned of their own will. There is no evidence of forced repatriation by the Hondurans; many Hondurans feel resentment towards the refugees, many of whom have a better standard of living in their refugee camps than do the Hondurans themselves. Information recently received from HMA Tegucigalpa suggests that the number of refugees from Nicaragua could rise substantially within the next six months, and that problems of protection especially against possible forced recruitment by the contras are likely to become more acute.

(b) Salvadorean Refugees. 21,000 Salvadoreans driven from their homes by the war between President Duarte's Government and the left-wing FMLN guerrillas. They are mainly in camps close to the Salvadorean border. The Salvadorean Government (and the US) claim these camps are used by

the FMLN for supply, rest, recuperation and possibly recruitment. UNHCR do not have the staff to prevent this which we consider probably takes place on a small scale. A plan for relocation of the camps to sites further away from the border appears now to have been dropped removing a source of possible friction. Some voluntary repatriation of Salvadorean refugees appears to be taking place.

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thus

B: EL SALVADOR

There are a small number of Nicaraguan refugees within the country. However, many Salvadoreans are displaced within El Salvador as a result of the fighting and are not eligible for UNHCR assistance.

C: COSTA RICA

There are approximately 21,000 Nicaraguan refugees in Costa Rica, some of whom are asylum seekers and, according to UNHCR's local representative, a percentage of the young Nicaraguan males are "draft dodgers". No contentious issues, but general concern in Costa Rica about potential destabilising effect of increasing number of refugees, especially unregistered ones.

D: NICARAGUA

Few refugees within the country, but Nicaraguans constitute a large portion of the refugee population within Honduras.

JONFID

CONFIDENTIAL

/Guatemala