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INFO ROUTINE ODA, HONG KONG, UKREP BRUSSELS, UKMIS GENEVA INFO ROUTINE BANGKOK, KUALA LUMPUR, JAKARTA, MANILA
VIETNAMESE MIGRANTS: EC REINTEGRATION ASSISTANCE PROGRAMME
SUMMARY
1. EC PROGRAMME HAS NOW BEEN WORKING IN VIETNAM FOR EFFECTIVELY
SOME 8 MONTHS. A SECOND MUCH LARGER PHASE IS DUE TO MAKE A DELAYED START IN MARCH 1992. THE PROGRAMME HAS CLEARLY AN IMPORTANT ROLE TO PLAY IN ASSISTING THE VIETNAMESE WITH THE REINTEGRATION OF SOME 110,000 VIETNAMESE MIGRANTS DUE EVENTUALLY TO RETURN FROM HONG KONG AND THE OTHER FIRST ASYLUM COUNTRIES. HMG HAVE ACCORDINGLY CONTRIBUTED US DOLLARS 5 MILLION OVER AND ABOVE THEIR SHARE AS EC MEMBERS. PERFORMANCE OF THE PROGRAMME ON THE GROUND SO FAR IS MIXED. THE VIETNAMESE EXPRESS DISAPPOINTMENT.
DETAIL
2. IN THE CONTEXT OF ANY RETURN PROGRAMME UNDER EXISTING VOLUNTEER ARRANGEMENTS AND UNDER ORP ARRANGEMENTS BILATERALLY THERE ARE TWO SETS OF PROBLEMS WHICH CONFRONT THE LOCAL VIETNAMESE AUTHORITIES.
THE FIRST IS THE COMPARATIVELY SIMPLE QUESTION OF THE CAPACITY OF THE EXISTING RECEPTION CENTRE AT CO NHUE AND BUSES ETC FOR TRANSPORT TO HOME VILLAGES. THE SECOND MUCH MORE SERIOUS PROBLEM IS THE NEED TO PROIIDE HOUSING AND EMPLOYMENT FOR RETURNEES WITHIN THEIR COMMUNITIES. IT IS IN THIS AREA THAT THE VIETNAMESE LOCAL AUTHORITIES ARE EXPERIENCING THE MAXIMUM NUMBER OF PROBLEMS AND WHERE THEY FEEL THAT THE CREDIBILITY AND FUTURE SUSTAINABILITY
OF THE RETURN PROGRAMME ARE MOST AT STAKE. APART FROM THE EXISTING UNHCR ARRANGEMENTS, THE EC PROGRAMME OFFERS THE MAIN HOPE FOR THE CHANNELLING OF INTERNATIONAL ASSISTANCE TO DEAL WITH THESE PROBRLEMS.
3. SO FAR SOME OF THE EC ACHIVEMENTS ARE NOT UNIMPRESSIVE. THEIR REPORT ON THE 6 MONTHS ACTIVITIES FROM MARCH TO SEPTEMBER 1991 (COPIED TO SEAD) SHOW THAT IN SOME AREAS THEY HAVE WITH GOOD
AND DEDICATED STAFF BEEN ABLE TO MOVE SURPRISINGLY QUICKLY. THIS IMPRESSION IS CONFIRMED FROM OUR OWN EXPERIENCE OF MONITORING AND
OTHER VISITS TO THESE AREAS. DURING THE PERIOD TO 30 SEPTEMBER 1991
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