UZBEKS IN KYRGYZSTAN: UNHCR WEEKEND PURSUIT OF

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 GENEVA 001739

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/18/2010
TAGS: PREF PREL KG UZ UNHCR
SUBJECT: UZBEKS IN KYRGYZSTAN: UNHCR WEEKEND PURSUIT OF
RELOCATION OPTIONS

REF: STATE 131485

Classified By: Piper Campbell, Refugee Counselor, 1.4 b and d


1. (C) Summary: Staff of the United Nations High
Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Headquarters in Geneva were
active the weekend of July 16-17 in monitoring the situation
of Uzbek refugees in Kyrgyzstan and seeking possible
"evacuation" options. Mission Refugee and Migration Affairs
(RMA) officers spoke with UNHCR staff late Friday, and
mid-day Saturday and Sunday to track status. As of Monday
morning, UNHCR reports that discussions with Ukraine on
accepting the bulk of the refugees in some temporary status
continue, with UNHCR guardedly optimistic. Meanwhile, UNHCR
continues logistical preparations in Kyrgyzstan and reports
they could start movement two days after an evacuation site
is identified -- although necessary lists and photographs
will not be ready until mid-week. Meanwhile, UNHCR reports
that they have better access to the 29 detained Uzbeks and
that both the approximately 440 camp population and the 29
detainees have agreed to resettlement. UNHCR has expressed
concern to Mission officer that some "residual population"
(i.e., not accepted for resettlement) will remain in any
evacuation country -- or will need some other solution. End
Summary.


2. (SBU) UNHCR (Europe Bureau) representative called RMA
officer the night of July 15 to report that a letter from
UNHCR Assistant High Commissioner Morjane to the office of
the Foreign Minister of the Ukraine, answering questions
Ukraine had already raised with UNHCR, had been drafted late
Friday and was awaiting signature. In the Friday night call,
UNHCR also stated that it had made contact with the Permanent
Missions of Romania and Moldova in Geneva to seek their
participation, along with Ukraine, in a possible humanitarian
evacuation of the 455 asylum seekers currently in Kyrgyzstan.
Similar requests were to be made by UNHCR offices in
capitals as soon as possible. Per UNHCR, Romania's Geneva
Mission responded with positive interest in the issue,
whereas Moldova's Mission was more reserved. Both indicated
that they would need to communicate with capital before
responding. In a subsequent call, UNHCR (Division of
International Protection) representative advised that on
Saturday, May 16, he had provided a written response to
questions raised by the GOU in its Friday evening meeting
with UNHCR resrep. (RMA has requested copies of both
letters.) UNHCR confirmed that, in its letter to the GOU, it
had indicated 2 months as the estimated processing time for
resettlement of Uzbekis after their arrival in a safe
processing location.


3. (SBU) UNHCR also told RMA that, per field reports, UNHCR
Kyrgyzstan had excellent access Saturday afternoon and Sunday
morning to the 29 Uzbeks currently in detention. In
addition, UNHCR reported that all the Uzbek asylum seekers
have now agreed to accept humanitarian evacuation as soon as
it becomes available.


4. (SBU) In a Saturday, July 16 discussion with RMA, UNHCR
Head of Desk for Central Asia said that he believed that the
GOK would allow movement of the Uzbeki asylum seekers as soon
as UNHCR had found a willing transit country -- although he
cautioned that the Uzbeks might treat the larger camp
population differently than the 29 currently in detention.
While acknowledging the urgency of the matter and recognizing
Uzbekistan's sustained pressure on Kyrgyzstan, he said he
believed the Kyrgyz would still allow UNHCR time to work out
a transfer. The most important thing Kyrgyz officials
stressed, he said, was the need for UNHCR to work out an
"exit strategy" within the next days.


5. (C) In separate conversations July 18, the Canadian and
Australian missions indicated that, while they would probably
participate in a resettlement effort, they did not expect
their governments to offer facilities for humanitarian
transfer to their territory. The Swiss mission said that it
expected the Federal Council to decline any request for
resettlement, and that a decision on the request for
humanitarian transfer could not be made soon. The German
mission indicated that it did not believe that the GOG was
considering humanitarian transfer, though it had not yet
taken a decision on whether to accept six cases UNHCR had
submitted (referred) to it for resettlement.


6. (C) UNHCR Division of International Protection (DIP) also
reported Monday that, while it agreed with the concept of a
package deal, it believed that the Kyrgyz may not allow the
departure of detainees who have not been found eligible for
refugee status. There are currently 29 Uzbeks in detention
in Kyrgyzstan. UNHCR initially found 26 of them to be asylum
seekers. However, UNHCR subsequently reduced that number to
25 (note: this change corresponds with the Netherlands
rejection, on criminal grounds, of one of the four
individuals whose dossiers UNHCR had submitted to it for
emergency resettlement consideration.)
Moley