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USD 500 MINIMUM WAS NECESSARY TO GET JOB ON RETURN.
MDHI
166315
86361
4. WE HEARD A CATALOGUE OF WOE DELAYS IN UNHCR AND EC PAYMENTS.
A) UNHCR: VIETNWM HAD ONLY RECEIVED 57 PER CENT OF MONEY OWED SO FAR. JAN 1992 RETURNEES WOULD NOT GET PAID TILL APRIL. (LATER UNHCR TOLD US THERE WERE NO OUTSTANDING PROBLEMS ON FUNDING AND THEY WERE JUST AS CONCERNED TO SORT OUT THIS SORT OF PROBLEM).
B) EC. PHASE I OF EC PROGRAMME HAD ECU 10 MILLION VOTED WHICH WAS MAINLY USED ON OFFICE ADMIN. PHASE I HAD BEEN EXTENDED TWICE. OF THE 10 MILLION, 20 PER CENT WAS MEANT TO BE ON AN EC CONTRIBUTION TO UNHCR COSTS FOR TRANSPORT, FROM HONG KONG TO VIETNAM (WHICH HAD BEEN OVER IMPLEMENTED 7666 RETURNEES INSTEAD OF 5000), 54 PER CENT ON REINTEGRATION (UNDERIMPLEMENTED - ONLY 12 PER CENT SPENT) AND 26 PER CENT ON ADMIN. THE LOCAL AUTHORITIES WERE UNHAPPY BECAUSE THEY HAD BEEN LANDED WITH RETURNEES BUT NOT GIVEN ANY MONEY,
5. THE (INTERIOR) RAISED THE LOGISTICAL PROBLEMS OF HIS STAFF HANDLING THE NUMEROUS FLIGHTS AND INCREASING NUMBERS
OF RETURNEES. HE RECEIVED LOTS OF COMPLAINTS OF OVERWORK AND NO FACILITIES. HIS MINISTRY WAS ALSO TRYING TO STOP ILLEGAL DEPARTURES. IN CONFIDENCE, BIN SAID SECURITY MEASURES HAD COST THEM USD 75 MILLION SO FAR. THEY HAD HEARD OF A NEW DEVELOPMENT WITH A 20 METRE BOAT POISED TO TAKE MIGRANTS TO AUSTRALIA AND WERE TRYING TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT IT. REUTRNS WERE NOW OVER THE AGREED 1000 A MONTH, BUT THEY WERE AFRAID THAT IF THE RETURNEES COULD NOT SETTLE IT WOULD ENCOURAGE THEM AND OTHERS TO LEAVE.
6. WHAT THE VIETNAMESE SEEMED TO BE LOOKING FOR WAS A ONE-OFF CHANCE TO GET IMPROVEMENTS AT LOCAL LEVEL IN THE COMMUNITIES TO STABILIZE PEOPLE'S LIVES AND STOP THEM THINKING OF LEAVING, AS WELL AS HELPING THOSE WHO RETURN. WE REHEARSED ALL THE WAYS IN WHICH UK AND OTHERS HAVE CONTRIBUTED ALREADY TOWARDS AID, THE DIFFICULTIES FOR HONG KONG AND THE HOPE THAT ONCE ORP II WAS SEEN TO BE WORKING MORE AID WOULD BE PLEDGED. THE VIETNAMESE
REMAINED UNIMPRESSED.
7. WE PROMISED TO CHECK CAREFULLY WITH UNHCR AND EC ON THE DELAYS
AND REVERT.
8. WE LATER SPOKE TO THE DEPUTY REPRESENTATIVE UNHCR WHO
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