CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 405
OF 02090OZ FEBRUARY 90,
243 15
HKB
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY
22 FEB 1990
INDEX
10.
077055
MDHIAN 4966
TOP COPY Q DIST ?
INFO IMMEDIATE HANOI, UKMIS GENEVA, WASHINGTON
INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON
(59
YOUR TELNO 267: VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE: CRITICISMS OF SCREENING
1. THE TEXT OF OUR DRAFT REPLY TO THE SARAH HELM ARTICLE FOLLOWS BY FAX TO HKD AND THE HKG COMMISSIONER, LONDON.
2. WE AGREE THAT A POSITIVE RESPONSE TO STOLTENBERG ON SCREENING IS ESSENTIAL. WE MUST BE SEEN TO BE TAKING THE VARIOUS CRITICISMS OF OUR PROCEDURES SERIOUSLY AND WHERE POSSIBLE TO INTRODUCE IMPROVEMENTS. INDEED, IT IS NOT SIMPLY A MATTER OF APPEARANCES. SINCE THE INTRODUCTION OF SCREENING DURING THE AUTUMN OF 1988 WE HAVE REVIEWED AND REVISED THE PROCEDURES SEVERAL TIMES IN RESPONSE TO SUGGESTIONS FROM UNHCR AND OTHERS.
3. CONCERN ABOUT THE PROCEDURES SEEMS TO HAVE FOCUSED ON SIX PARTICULAR AREAS:
(A) PREPARATION OF ASYLUM SEEKERS FOR THEIR INTERVIEWS I.E. EXPLAINING THE PROCEDURES:
(B) THE QUALITY OF THE INTERPRETATION SERVICE:
(C) THE READING BACK OF STATEMENTS TO THE ASYLUM SEEKERS AT THE END OF THE SCREENING INTERVIEW:
(D) STATEMENTS OF REASONS FOR THE REJECTION OF APPEALS:
(E) RIGHT OF AUDIENCE BEFORE THE REVIEW BOARD: AND
(F) TRAINING FOR IMMIGRATION OFFICERS.
4. WE ARE CLOSE TO COMPLETING OUR ASSESSMENT OF WHAT MIGHT BE DONE ON EACH OF THESE ISSUES AND INTEND TO DISCUSS OUR PLANS WITH UNHCR LOCALLY BY THE END OF NEXT WEEK. WE HOPE TO LET YOU HAVE OUR ASSESSMENT EARLY NEXT WEEK. YOU WILL WISH TO DRAW ON THIS IN PREPARING THE REPLY TO STOLTENBERG. IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT ANY
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