SECRET
516
123330
MDHIAN 9359
SECRET
FM HONG KONG
TO DESKBY 15110OZ FCO
TELNO 4134
OF
1510OOZ DECEMBER 89
Hle B
24319
RECEIVED IN RECISTRY
04 JAN 1990
DESK OFFICER
REGISTRY
PA
schon laken
INDEX
INFO IMMEDIATE HANOI, UKMIS GENEVA
·405,
MY TELNO 3893 AND MIPT
VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE:
1990 STRATEGY
MIPT SETS OUT OUR PROPOSALS FOR A PROGRAMME OF REPATRIATION
FLIGHTS DURING JANUARY AND FEBRUARY. YOU MIGHT FIND IT USEFUL TO
HAVE A BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF HOW WE SEE THIS PROGRAMME FITTING INTO
OUR GENERAL STRATEGY FOR HANDLING THE VBP ISSUE NEXT YEAR.
2.
IN FIRST TUR WE EXPLAINED OUR THINKING ON A RAPID SCREENING AND
RAPID REPATRIATION STRATEGY. YOU HAVE ALSO SEEN AN EARLY DRAFT OF OUR GENERAL STRATEGY PAPER I SENT BY FAX TO HASWELL, HKD). THE CENTRAL OBJECTIVE WITH THE RAPID SCREENING AND REPATRIATION
APPROACH IS TO STRENGTHEN THE DETERRENT MESSAGE OF THE CPA BY
MAKING IT MORE IMMEDIATE. THE APPROACH WOULD BE TO SWITCH THE BULK
(BUT NOT ALL OF OUR SCREENING AND APPEALS RESOURCES FROM THE CURRENT MAIN DETENTION CENTRES TO THE RECEPTION CENTRES FOR NEW
ARRIVALS. RATHER THAN CONTINUING TO SCREEN IN STRICT ARRIVAL ORDER WE WOULD GIVE PRIORITY TO SCREENING NEW ARRIVALS. SUCH NEW ARRIVALS WOULD BE HELD AT THE RECEPTION CENTRES AND SCREENING AND APPEALS WOULD TAKE PLACE THERE. UNDER PRESENT LEGISLATION IT WOULD TAKE A MINIMUM OF SIX WEEKS TO COMPLETE ALL STAGES OF THE SCREENING AND APPEALS PROCEDURES. THIS COULD BE REDUCED SIGNIFICANTLY IF WE WERE TO AMEND THE LEGISLATION TO REDUCE THE 28 DAY PERIOD FOR THE
SUBMISSION OF APPEALS.
3. THE AIM WILL BE TO IMPLEMENT A REPATRIATION ARRANGEMENT WHICH
WILL ENABLE US TO RETURN THOSE SCREENED OUT WITHIN A FEW DAYS OF
THEIR FINAL STATUS DETERMINATION. IT WILL THEREFORE BE ESSENTIAL TO
DISCUSS RECEPTION ARRANGEMENTS AND CAPACITY WITH THE VIETNAMESE AS
A MATTER OF PRIORITY. WE HAVE IDENTIFIED A SUITABLE SHIP WHICH WOULD ENABLE US TO RETURN A LARGE GROUP OF SCREENED OUT VBP TO HAIPHONG EACH WEEK. IT MIGHT TAKE A LITTLE TIME TO ESTABLISH A
SHIP-BASED REPATRIATION PROGRAMME AND WE ARE THEREFORE PLANNING ON THE BASIS OF USING AIRCRAFT IN THE FIRST INSTANCE (SEE MIPT).
L =
WE HAVE A GOOD DEAL MORE WORK TO DO ON THIS STRATEGY BUT WE
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