TNAG-1542-FCO40-2106-United-Nations-High-Commissioner-for-Refugees-(UNHCR)-Execut-1986 — Page 170

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Ros EXCEM briefing

CONFIDENTIAL

British High Commission

PO Box 50050 Lusaka Zambia

Telephone 51122

CRS5 1986

P W Chandley Esq

Central African Department

FCO

Alas beguthi DALL EDA

ins 243/43

Dear Peres,

Your reference

Our reference

Date

1 September 1986

tH FALaLA༨t,

Pinay I Ma. Trevay, ('N))) It the other letters.

(ther letters already hamally

Sent.

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UNHCR: 37TH EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEETING IN GENEVA, 6-16 OCTOBER

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I called on UNHCR for a discussion on the questions listed in Mrs Wyeth's minute of 24 July. The answers are as follows:

1 Nature of Refugees

i)

ii)

iii)

iv)

v)

vi)

There is

Most refugees fall under the UNHCR mandate. seldom any differences of view with the Zambian authorities about their status.

Many of the refugees are innocent farmers eg those from Mozambique who feel they have been victimised by a civil war. Perhaps 70% of Zambia's refugees would fall under the OAU Convention.

Few recent arrivals could claim to be refugees from drought etc but some of the older refugees from Angola in the Western Province have had to be looked after by the Lutheran World Foundation because of the drought in the province over the last three years.

Not applicable.

Most groups are relatively small eg those from Mozambique (16,000) and the pockets of Angolans who came across the frontier.

With few exceptions, both UNHCR and the Zambians classify the refugees properly and give them full status. But naturalisation is very slow, work scarce and the refugees have only a limited access to certain public facilities such as education. Zambians tend to take priority and therefore it will be correct to say that the rights due to refugees are inadequately implemented.

CONFIDENTIAL

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