TNAG-1915-FCO40-2719-Hong-Kong-resettlement-of-Vietnamese-refugees-in-third-count-1989 — Page 89

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FM UKMIS GENEVA

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

TELNO 206

OF 200814Z APRIL

INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG

INFO PRIORITY WASHINGTON, CANBERRA, OTTAWA, TOKYO, PARIS, BANGKOK INFO PRIORITY KUALA LUMPUR

YOUR TELNO 94: VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE: ICIR PREPARATIONS: RESETTLEMENT SUB COMMITTEE

SUMMARY

1. RESETTLEMENT SUB COMMITTEE MET IN GENEVA ON 17 APRIL. A USEFUL SESSION AT WHICH BROAD AGREEMENT WAS REACHED TO CLEAR THE PRE CUT-OFF DATE CASELOAD WITHIN 3 YEARS. AMERICANS OFFERED TO RESETTLE 40 PER CENT (SOME 22,000) OF TOTAL. SMALLER CASELOAD OF SCREENED-IN TO BE INTERLEAVED FOR RESETTLEMENT PURPOSES WITH PRE CUT-OFF DATE CAMP POPULATIONS. FURTHER UK RESETTLEMENT COMMITMENT LIKELY TO BE NECESSARY TO CLINCH FINAL PACKAGE AT OR BEFORE ICIR.

DETAIL

2. THE MEETING UNDER VIEIRA DE MELLO'S (UNHCR) CHAIRMANSHIP WAS ATTENDED BY 22 DELEGATIONS, INCLUDING MAJOR AND MINOR RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES, ASEAN AND VIETNAM (SUMMARY RECORD BY FAX TO DEPARTMENT AND HONG KONG). THE SUB-COMMITTEE STRESSED THE INTERDEPENDENCE OF ALL ELEMENTS OF THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN OF ACTION (CPA) AND THE NEED FOR COMMITMENTS TO ASSURE THE RESETTLEMENT OF THE PRE CUT-OFF DATE CASELOAD AND SUBSEQUENT ARRIVALS WHO ARE SCREENED-IN. TOGETHER WITH MALAYSIA AND THAILAND, WE TOOK THE OPPORTUNITY TO REMIND THE MEETING OF THE SERIOUS PROBLEM IMPOSED BY THE CONTINUING HIGH FLOW OF VBPS AND THE SIZE OF THE PRE CUT-OFF DATE CAMP POPULATIONS (SOME 53,000 VBPS THROUGHOUT THE REGION) AWAITING RESETTLEMENT. THE AMERICANS SET THE TONE FOR THE MEETING BY OFFERING TO TAKE 40 PER CENT OF PRE CUT-OFF DATE ARRIVALS (SOME 22,000) OVER THREE YEARS, THEREBY SCOTCHING EARLIER THAI AND MALAYSIAN IMPATIENCE, THE FORMER WANTING FRONT-LOADING OF THE RESETTLEMENT PROGRAMME (60 PER CENT OF THE CASELOAD) IN THE FIRST YEAR. CANADA OFFERED TO TAKE SOME 10-15,000 OVER THE SAME TIMESCALE. AUSTRALIA AND OTHER COUNTRIES WHO SPOKE GAVE NO SPECIFIC COMMITMENTS BUT UNDERTOOK TO TAKE A PROPORTIONATE SHARE. WE DESCRIBED WHAT WE HAD DONE IN THE PAST AND REMINDED THE

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