7.
On Eastern Europe more generally there were some wide-ranging interventions pointing the way towards discussion at the Vienna consultations in June. Points made included:
present problems would inevitably increase dramatically
as exit controls in the east eased.
there was a need to take what was now essentially a problem of migration out of asylum procedures
particularly for the USA and Canada changing established attitudes will be difficult: a Canadian
attempt two years ago to remove Poles from their "designated class" regulations (asylum seekers who do not have to undergo individual refugee determination procedures) had to be reversed within days.
there was a need for harmonisation of refugee
recognition rates and for agreement on what should be done with failed asylum seekers.
it was obviously difficult to retreat from the rhetoric of the human rights talks but there was a case for an information campaign in the east to get across what could be expected in the west; and to emphasise that the right to leave a country was separate from the right to enter another.
A table summarising estimated numbers of East European asylum seekers is at Annex D.
TAMILS
8.
Organisationally discussion was in two parts because UNHCR
t
had been reluctant to invite ICM the formal meeting (I gather
し
there is some animosity between Mr Hocké and ICM Director General Purcell). At the close of the consultation we immediately reconstituted as the Swiss-led repatriation project group with ICM representatives in attendance.
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.