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MDLOAN 6802
UP OF AN INQUIRY CHONG KONG TELNO 357).
7. LATER PURCELL SAID THAT THE IOM HAD GOOD RELATIONS WITH VIETNAM AS A RESULT OF ITS INVOLVEMENT IN RETURNING VIETNAMESE CONTRACT WORKERS FROM EASTERN EUROPE AND WAS KEEN TO HELP RESOLVE THE PROBLEM OF VIETNAMESE MIGRANTS. LORD CAITHNESS SAID THAT WE HAD HEARD THAT THE GERMANS WERE PAYING LARGE SUMS OF MONEY TO EX-CONTRACT WORKERS RETURNING TO VIETNAM. THIS WAS WORRYING BECAUSE FIRSTLY IT INFLATED THE GOING RATE FOR RETURNEES AND SECONDLY THE VIETNAMESE AUTHORITIES WANTED PAYMENTS TO THE COMMUNITY RATHER THAN TO INDIVIDUALS. PURCELL SAID THAT NEGOTIATIONS BETWEEN THE GERMANS AND VIETNAMESE WERE CONTINUING. SOME OF THESE PAYMENTS WERE MANDATORY UNDER GERMAN LAW. THE IOM WAS IN CONTACT WITH THE GERMANS AND WOULD MAKE
THESE POINTS TO THEM.
8.
PURCELL SAID HE REMAINED ATTRACTED TO THE IDEA OF INTERNATIONALLY MANAGED CENTRES, OR INDEED VIETNAMESE MANAGED CENTRES, WHICH MIGHT ACT AS STAGING POSTS FOR MIGRANTS RETURNING TO THEIR COMMUNITIES. HE THOUGHT THAT A NUMBER OF SUCH CENTRES OF VARYING SIZES THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY WHERE MIGRANTS COULD STAY FOR SHORT PERIODS ON THEIR WAY BACK TO THEIR COMMUNITIES WOULD HELP LOGISTICALLY. THEY WOULD ALSO BE CONCRETE PROJECTS WHICH MIGHT ATTRACT INTERNATIONAL FUNDS. LORD CAITHNESS REHEARSED US AND VIETNAMESE OPPOSITION TO INTERNATIONALLY MANAGED CENTRES. THE AMERICANS, WITH PROBLEMS OF THEIR OWN WITH HAITIAN REFUGEES, WERE KEEPING QUIET. WE DID NOT WISH TO STIR THEM UP. BUT HE WAS ATTRACTED BY THE IDEA OF A NUMBER OF SMALL (VIETNAMESE RUN) CENTRES THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY. THIS MIGHT HELP THE VIETNAMESE OVERCOME THE DIFFICULTY OF DIVERTING COMPARATIVELY SIGNFICANT RESOURCES TO THE RETURN OF SMALL NUMBERS OF INDIVIDUALS TO FAR-FLUNG AND INACCESSIBLE
COMMUNITIES.
9.
LORD CAITHNESS EXPLAINED THAT ONE PROBLEM WE WERE HAVING
IN FILLING OUR QUOTA OF VIETNAMESE REFUGEES WAS THAT A HIGH PROPORTION OF THOSE WE SELECTED WERE RULED OUT AT A LATE STAGE ON MEDICAL GROUNDS. THIS CAUSED DELAYS AND WASTED RESOURCES. PURCELL SAID THAT THE HEAD OF IOM MEDICAL SERVICES WAS GOING TO HONG KONG ON 10 FEBRUARY. PURCELL WOULD ASK HIM TO LOOK IN TO THIS. THE PROBLEM WAS THAT REFUGEES COULD NOT BE MEDICALLY EXAMINED UNTIL THEY HAD BEEN SELECTED BY A COUNTRY FOR RESETTLEMENT. IT WAS THE SETTLEMENT COUNTRY THAT PAID THE COST OF THE MEDICAL EXAMINATION. IF MEDICALS TOOK PLACE BEFORE
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