TNAG-1905-FCO40-2709-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-voluntary-and-mandatory-repat-1989 — Page 365

CONFIDENTIAL

HKB 243/5

42

074361

MDHIAN 1972

CONFIDENTIAL

FM HANOI

TO DESKBY 05080OZ FCO

TELNO 339

OF 05053OZ JULY 89

AND TO DESKBY 05083OZ HONG KONG

INFO IMMEDIATE UKMIS GENEVA

40

YOUR 233 OF 4 JULY: VBP REPATRIATION

TOP Q DIST?

THIS MORNING I SAW HOANG QUY CHUONG OF THE MINISTRY

OF LABOUR AND SOCIAL AFFAIRS AND GAVE HIM THE OFFER ON REINTEGRATION

ASSISTANCE DETAILED IN TUR.

1.

2.

CHUONG COUNTERED BY SAYING THAT THE FINANCIAL

ASSISTANCE SHOULD MATCH THAT PROVIDED BY UNHCR FOR THE VOLUNTEERS. HE CLAIMED THAT THE UNHCR BUDGET FOR THIS YEAR AND THE FIRST 500 RETURNEES IS 359500 US DOLLARS EXCLUDING AIR FARES AND COSTS IN HONG KONG. THIS IS 719 US DOLLARS PER HEAD WHICH BREAKS DOWN TO 579 DOLLARS PER HEAD TO BE PAID TO THE RETURNEES AND 140 DOLLARS PER HEAD TO COVER THE VIETNAMESE AUTHORITIES COSTS AT THE CENTRAL AND LOCAL LEVELS. THE 579 DOLLARS PER HEAD BREAKS DOWN TO:

A)

TRANSPORT IN VIETNAM:

B)

FOOD FOR ONE YEAR:

25

360

C)

MEDICINES

4

D)

FAMILY FURNITURE:

50

E)

HOUSING

50

F)

RESETTLEMENT AWAY FROM ORIGINAL HOME

10

G) TRAINING AND JOB PLACEMENT

80

CHUONG RECOGNIZED THAT NOT ALL RETURNEES WOULD NEED ALL OF THIS BUT THAT THEY WERE AVERAGE FIGURES.

THEREFORE CHUONG SAID THAT WE SHOULD PAY 719 DOLLARS PER HEAD PLUS COSTS IN HONG KONG AND AIR FARES.

3.

4. I HAVE CHECKED WITH UNHCR AND THE ABOVE BUDGET IS ESSENTIALLY CORRECT ALTHOUGH I UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS IN ESSENCE AN ESTIMATE OF A CEILING AND CURRENT EXPENDITURE IS IN FACT BELOW THIS ALTHOUGH PERHAPS NOT BY MUCH. THE ACTING UNHCR REP IS RELUCTANT TO TALK ABOUT FIGURES PER HEAD.