TNAG-1542-FCO40-2106-United-Nations-High-Commissioner-for-Refugees-(UNHCR)-Execut-1986 — Page 307

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and who did not qualify under family reunion criteria as there was no agreement with Vietnam and the ASEAN countries for their

The High Commissioner had said that international efforts to resettle refugees had meant that the governments in the region had had no impetus to seek a political solution.

return.

6.

Mr Issaka informed me that, during his recent visit

to the US and Canada, he had been told that

7.

(a)

(b)

as fewer people met their refugee qualifications the US and Canadian intakes would decline; and

the UK must take the lead before the US and Canada would consider taking more. The Canadians were particularly emphatic that the UK should extend the British family reunion programme for 1987 which would give an incentive to other resettlement countries to respond.

Mr Cooper then turned to the 1986 Hong Kong offer of local integration. He stressed that the failure of this programme would not encourage resettlement countries to give any more particular attention to Hong Kong's caseload. suggested

8.

(a)

(b)

Hong Kong could drop their insistence on refugees being given the choice of local settlement; and

He

the UK could encourage resettlement countries to limit themselves to taking ethnic Vietnamese instead of ethnic Chinese which Hong Kong could absorb.

Mr Cooper maintained that the 1986 resettlement offtake from Hong Kong had been good: many resettlement countries had made a good effort. Pledges this year were just over 4,700 of which 3,000 had left so far, of which half had arrived within the last three years and were from closed camps. Altogether, 4,000 should have left by the end of 1986. It was, however, unfortunate that the North Vietnamese were being resettled at a higher rate than the South Vietnamese.

9.

Finally, Mr Cooper said that, at EXCOM, UNHCR would like to thank resettlement countries for their extra efforts; this had been appreciated by Hong Kong and the UK who would both be making extra efforts. He added that, if the UK.could repeat their 1985 offer, the 1986 resettlement rate might be maintained. I said the matter was under consideration in London and I could not say anything until a decision had been taken.

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/10.

Y

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