03/06/93
15:25
HOME OFFICE B6 DIVISION-LUNAR HS
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Item 8: Means of Proof (WGI 1490)
15. Earlier Ad-Hoc had agreed to refer back to sub-group for further work and Presidency had invited written comments. None received to date.
16.
Dutch, Greek and Germans all expressed surprise that item back on Ad- Hoc agenda, and Dutch formally objected to its inclusion. Presidency agreed that work would continue in sub-group under Belgian Presidency, and invited submission of written comments to Secretariat by 1 July.
Item 9: Any Other Business
(1) Racism and Xenophobia
17.
Presidency confirmed that topic had been discussed at informa Ministerial meeting at Kolding, and that the questionnaire had beea- discussed at the Co-ordinators meeting on 18-19 May, at which meeting i: had been agreed that it would be impossible to complete the questionnaire time for it to go to Ministers. Member States were invited to send
written comments to the Présidency/Consul Secretariat: Co-ordinators would examine further at a future meeting.
(ii) European Commission(er) for Refugees
18.
Presidency confirmed, for information only, that Danish paper had been examined at Kolding, but that it had not been possible to draw any firm conclusions on the future nature of this work.
inclu
The Danes themselves
were considering a possible meeting involving UNHCR et al but, is organised, it would take place as a national Danish initiative. Topic would not be put before Ministers next week.
19.
French commented that, notwithstanding that it would be a Danish (not Presidency) initiative, they had nothing to say at any such meeting with UNHCR and would want to enter a reservation on such a proposal. Presidency noted French views.
(iii) Immigrants from China
The
20. Spain elaborated on its concerns. In 1992 they had received 26 Chinese asylum-seekers; for the period March-May 1993 alone the figure stood at 1150, many of whom had no identity documents. Although difficult to work out their precise route, it appeared that many had travelled through Russia, across Western Europe and into Spain. Few were genuine asylum-seekers: the majority were simply seeking to improve their economic conditions, although a few claimed to be fleeing China's rigorous family
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