TNAG-1906-FCO40-2710-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-voluntary-and-mandatory-repat-1989 — Page 80

CONFIDENTIAL

FM HONG KONG

TO IMMEDIATE UKMIS GENEVA

TELNO MISC 691

OF 210351Z AUGUST 89

CONFIDENTIAL

216

042364

MDHIAN 2709

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243/a la

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INFO IMMEDIATE FCO, HANOI, WASHINGTON

YOUR TELNO 515: VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE: REPATRIATION COUNSELLING

WE ARE GRATEFUL FOR YOUR REPORT IN TUR BUT SURPRISED TO HEAR THAT UNHCR (HK) HAVE DEPLOYED TEN OFFICERS TO WORK ON VOLUNTARY REPATRIATION COUNSELLING. WE UNDERSTAND THAT THE CORRECT FIGURE IS 5 AND OUR CAMP MANAGEMENT TEAMS HAVE REPORTED THAT UNHCR COUNSELLORS ARE VERY INFREQUENT VISITORS TO THE CAMPS. WE WILL ENCOURAGE THE LOCAL OFFICE TO MOVE QUICKLY TO FORMULATE ITS PROPOSALS FOR ADDITIONAL POSTS.

2.

BESIDES INCREASING THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE INVOLVED IN THIS WORK, UNHCR NEED TO RE-THINK THE WAY THEY APPROACH THEIR TASK. IN COUNSELLING POTENTIAL VOLUNTEERS THEY PUT GREAT STRESS ON THE REINTEGRATION ASSISTANCE PACKAGE AND THEY DO NOT ATTEMPT TO EXPLAIN THE FULL IMPLICATIONS OF THE CPA. WE ACCEPT THAT IT IS DIFFICULT TO EXPLAIN THE CPA IN ALL ITS COMPLEXITY BUT FOR PEOPLE WHO HAVE LOST THEIR APPEALS THE MESSAGE IS IN FACT VERY SIMPLE: I.E. RESETTLEMENT IS NOT AVAILABLE AND REPATRIATION IS THE REALITY WHICH MUST BE FACED. THE UNHCR DO NOT ATTEMPT TO COUNSEL PEOPLE TO ACCEPT THIS REALITY.

3.

UNHCR ARE NOT PREPARED TO GO BEYOND COUNSELLING FOR VOLUNTARY REPATRIATION AND ALTHOUGH WE UNDERSTAND THEIR POSITION WE THINK THIS SHOULD NOT PREVENT THEM FROM EXPLAINING THAT FOR NON-REFUGEES REPATRIATION, IN WHATEVER FORM, IS INEVITABLE. THEY TAKE THE VIEW THAT THE UNHCR MUST BE SEEN AS AN HONEST BROKER IF THEY ARE TO BE ABLE TO PERSUADE PEOPLE TO VOLUNTEER AND THAT TOO GREAT AN EMPHASIS ON THE LOGIC OF THE CPA WOULD BE DAMAGING TO THEIR RELATIONSHIP WITH THE VBP. OUR JUDGEMENT IS THAT WE OWE THE SCREENED-OUT A DUTY OF FRANKNESS AND THAT THE FULL IMPLICATIONS OF THE CPA MUST BE EXPLAINED.

4. WE SHALL CONTINUE TO DISCUSS THESE ISSUES WITH UNHCR LOCALLY BUT WE WOULD BE GRATEFUL IF SIMILAR POINTS WOULD BE MADE IN

GENEVA WHEN THE OPPORTUNITY ARISES.

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