TNAG-2401-FCO40-3488-Vietnamese-migrants-Orderly-Repatriation-Programme-(ORP)-1992 — Page 186

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TO PRIORITY UKMIS GENEVA

TELNO 41

OF 1017OOZ FEBRUARY 91

INFO PRIORITY HANOI, HONG KONG

INFO ROUTINE WASHINGTON, UKREP BRUSSELS, BONN

LORD CAITHNESS' TALKS IN GENEVA, 7 FEBRUARY: VIETNAMESE MIGRANT

SUMMARY

1.

MRS OGATA AGREES TO CONSIDER FURTHER THE POSSIBILITY OF MIXED ORP/VOLUNTEER FLIGHTS. SHE ALSO AGREES THAT THE TAPERING OFF OF PAYMENTS TO VOLUNTEERS AND THE CONSEQUENT INCREASE IN PAYMENT TO THE COMMUNITY IS WORTH PURSUING. UNHCR SUPPRESSES ANNOUNCEMENT THAT TWO OF THE REMAINING SEVEN JUDICIAL REVIEW CASES WILL BE SCREENED IN UNDER UNHCR'S MANDATE, PENDING A REVIEW OF ALL SEVEN CASES IN GENEVA. PURCELL (IOM) CONTINUES TO PRESS FOR INTERNATIONALLY OR VIETNAMESE MANAGED MIGRANT CENTRES IN VIETNAM. HE UNDERTAKES TO LOOK AT THE TIMING OF MEDICAL SCREENING OF REFUGEES ACCEPTED FOR RESETTLEMENT IN UK.

DETAIL

2. ON 7 FEBRUARY, IN GENEVA, LORD CAITHNESS HAD LUNCH FOLLOWED BY TALKS WITH MRS OGATA (UNHCR), AND TALKS WITH PURCELL (INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATION FOR MIGRATION) AND SOMMARUGA (ICRC). THE MAIN SUBJECTS COVERED WERE VIETNAMESE MIGRANTS, WITH MRS OGATA AND PURCELL, AND CAMBODIA, ON WHICH SEE MIFT (NOT TO ALL).

3.

OVER LUNCH CAT WHICH ANVAR, HEAD OF THE ASIA BUREAU, WAS PRESENT) LORD CAITHNESS SAID THAT WE WOULD BE SHORTLY MOUNTING THE THIRD ORP I FLIGHT. EVEN WITH SECURITY MINDERS THE FLIGHT WOULD BE LESS THAN HALF FULL. THIS WAS A WASTE OF RESOURCES. SURELY IN SUCH CASES IT WOULD MAKE SENSE TO FILL THE REST OF THE PLANE WITH VOLUNTEERS. IF NECESSARY, VOLUNTEERS AND NON-VOLUNTEERS COULD BE SEPARATED IN THE PLANE BY A SCREEN OR PHYSICAL BARRIER. THIS WOULD HELP UNHCR TO GET A FEW MORE VOLUNTEERS BACK AND HELP REDUCE THE LOGISTICS PROBLEM IN HANOI OF TOO MANY SEPARATE FLIGHTS. IN ANY CASE, VOLUNTEERS AND NON-VOLUNTEERS WERE HANDLED IDENTICALLY ONCE THEY REACHED HANOI. MRS OGATA SAID THAT THERE WAS AN IMAGE PROBLEM: THE UNHCR COULD NOT BE SEEN TO BE TOO CLOSELY ASSOCIATED WITH FORCED RETURNS.

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