CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
CONFIDENTIAL
HKB
ECEIV
DES
243/5
22 FEB 1990
58
070052
MDHIAN 4597
TELNO 383
OF 31110OZ JANUARY 90
INDEX
INFO IMMEDIATE UKMIS GENEVA, WASHINGTON, HANOI
55
O DIET
YOUR TELNO 260: VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE: VOLUNTARY REPATRIATION
·
1 I AGREE THAT WE SHOULD DO EVERYTHING POSSIBLE TO PROMOTE VOLUNTARY REPATRIATION AND FURTHERMORE BE SEEN TO DO SO.
2. WE HAVE BEEN GIVING SOME THOUGHT TO WHAT MIGHT BE DONE TO SPEED UP THE RATE OF RETURN OF VOLUNTEERS UNDER THE UNHCR'S PROGRAMME.
THERE SEEM TO BE TWO BOTTLENECKS.
(I) DESPITE OUR PROMPTING, THE LOCAL OFFICE OF UNHCR HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO DEVISE PLANS FOR ANY MORE THAN THE RETURN OF 240 VOLUNTEERS EACH MONTH. GIVEN THAT WE ARE NOW RECEIVING AN AVERAGE 350 NEW REQUESTS FOR REPATRIATION EACH MONTH THE BACKLOG WILL CONTINUE TO GROW. AND THIS TAKES NO/NO ACCOUNT OF WHAT WILL HAPPEN IF WE GET ANOTHER INFLUX THIS YEAR. THE LAST TEAM OF VIETNAMESE OFFICIALS TO VISIT HONG KONG INDICATED THAT THEY COULD COPE WITH UP TO 400 RETURNEES EACH MONTH. ON THIS BASIS WE HAVE ENCOURAGED UNHCR TO CHARTER A LARGER AIRCRAFT. THIS WOULD ENABLE THEM TO CLEAR THE BACKLOG AND KEEP PACE WITH THE RATE OF NEW REQUESTS.
(II) EVEN AT 400 A MONTH IT WILL TAKE SOME TIME TO CLEAR THE BACKLOG. WE ALSO HAVE HOPES OF INCREASING THE NUMBER OF REQUESTS FOR REPATRIATION. IT IS THEREFORE ESSENTIAL THAT WE CONTINUE TO PRESS THE VIETNAMESE TO SPEED UP THE CLEARING OF NAMES FOR RETURN AND TO INCREASE THEIR RECEPTION CAPACITY. THIS MIGHT TAKE THE FORM OF EXPANDING THE EXISTING CENTRE OR CREATING A SECOND CENTRE AT HANOI. WE MIGHT ALSO CONSIDER THE POSSIBILITY OF RETURNING LARGER GROUPS OF VOLUNTEERS BY SHIP IF THE VIETNAMESE WERE ABLE TO ESTABLISH A RECEPTION CENTRE AT, FOR EXAMPLE, HAIPHONG.
3. BOTH THESE CONSTRAINTS HAVE BEEN DISCUSSED HERE WITH UNHCR AND VISITING VIETNAMESE OFFICIALS. WE WILL CONTINUE TO ENCOURAGE UNCHR TO CHARTER LARGER AIRCRAFT TO ENABLE THEM TO CLEAR THE BACKLOG OF VOLUNTEERS (CURRENTLY SOME 1400) RAPIDLY. FOR THE LONGER TERM, IT WOULD SEEM REASONABLE FOR UNHCR AND THE VIETNAMESE TO SET THEIR SIGHTS ON ONE TRISTAR FLIGHT EACH WEEK (I.E. 250 RETURNEES PER
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