TNAG-1905-FCO40-2709-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-voluntary-and-mandatory-repat-1989 — Page 134

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MDHIAN 4229

HKB

2431a

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FM UKMIS GENEVA

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

TELNO 475

OF 211546Z JULY 1989

INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG, HANOI

YOUR TELNO 182: VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE: REINTEGRATION ASSISTANCE: POSSIBLE ROLE OF INTERGOVERNMENTAL COMMITTEE FOR MIGRATION

1. WE HAVE CONSIDERED CAREFULLY, ON THE BASIS OF INFORMAL CONTACTS WITH SENIOR ICM OFFICIALS, WHAT ROLE ICM COULD PLAY OVER REPATRIATION TO VIETNAM OF NON-VOLUNTEERS UNDER A BILATERAL UK/HONG

KONG/SRV AGREEMENT.

2. ICM HAVE MADE CLEAR TO US THAT THERE COULD BE CONSIDERABLE

DIFFICULTIES WITH ICM MEMBER STATES (INCLUDING THE AMERICANS) IF IT

OFFERED ITS SEVICES IN REPATRIATING NON-VOLUNTEERS. ICM CURRENTLY

HAS PROGRAMMES FOR REPATRIATION OF NON-REFUGEES WITH FRG, BELGIUM AND SWITZERLAND. THESE PROGRAMMES, HOWEVER, REQUIRE NON-REFUGEES TO SIGN A FORM SIMILAR TO UNHCR'S VOLUNTARY RETURN FORM. ALTHOUGH THIS

IS A MATTER OF INTERNAL PROCEDURE AND NOT IMPOSED AT THE REQUEST OF MEMBER STATES, ICM WOULD BE RELUCTANT TO CHANGE IT.

3. ON MONITORING, ICM SAID THAT THEY HAD HAD ONE BAD EXPERIENCE AND WERE RELUCTANT TO REPEAT IT. AT AMERICAN REQUEST, THEY HAD AGREED TO MONITOR REPATRIATION BY THE AMERICAN INS OF SALVADOREANS TO EL SALVADOR. THEY HAD NO INVOLVEMENT IN THE ACTUAL OPERATION OF

TRANSFER, BUT ICM OFFICIALS WERE PRESENT ON ARRIVAL AND MONITORED REINTEGRATION AND PROVISION OF ASSISTANCE FOR ONE YEAR AFTER ARRIVAL. THE MONITORING REPORT HAD BEEN ABUSED BY DIFFERENT FACTIONS IN THE UNITED STATES AND LOCALLY TO SERVE DIFFERING INTERESTS. ICM DID NOT HAVE A HUMANITARIAN MANDATE AS SUCH. IT WOULD BE RELUCTANT

TO OFFER ITS MONITORING SERVICES AGAIN ELSEWHERE ON THE BASIS OF ITS EXPERIENCE IN EL SALVADOR, BUT DID NOT ENTIRELY CLOSE THE DOOR.

·

4 WE SHALL PURSUE THESE CONTACTS WITH ICM LOCALLY AND IN THE

MARGINS OF THE ICIR STEERING COMMITTEE 2 IN BANGKOK.

5. IT IS DIFFICULT TO ANSWER FULLY THE QUESTIONS POSED IN PARA 3 OF TUR. IN SHORT, HOWEVER, THERE IS NO FORMAL REQUIREMENT FOR THE UK TO RE-JOIN ICM IN ORDER TO BENEFIT FROM ITS SERVICES. ICM IS READY TO CARRY OUT FUNCTIONS ON A REPAYMENT BASIS. CLEARLY, HOWEVER, OUR STANDING, IF NOT OUR LEVERAGE, IN ICM AND WITH ICM MEMBER STATES

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