DEMARCHE RESPONSE: FINLAND DISINCLINED TO RESETTLE

C O N F I D E N T I A L HELSINKI 000947 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/23/2010 TAGS: MOPS PREF PREL PTER KAWC PHUM PINR FI SUBJECT: DEMARCHE RESPONSE: FINLAND DISINCLINED TO RESETTLE UIGHUR DETAINEES FROM GUANTANAMO REF: STATE 158272 Classified By: PolChief Gregory Thome, reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) DCM delivered subject demarche to MFA Undersecretary for Political Affairs Markus Lyra. Lyra said that the GOF would be disinclined to consider resettlement of any of the Uighurs from Guantanamo to Finland. Finland grants third-country resettlement only to cases referred through the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Finland has not been approached by UNHCR regarding these cases, Lyra noted, and even if UNHCR were to make a request it would be problematic. He suggested that, in addition to the UNHCR request, the U.S. would first have to accept at least some of the Uighurs -- both to show that it is willing to share the burden and to demonstrate that they do not represent a security threat -- before the GOF would consider our request. Lyra also used the occasion of our demarche to remind us that the GOF would like to see greater U.S. cooperation with "all the human rights mechanisms" seeking access to Guantanamo detainees. ¶2. (C) Post's assessment is that it will be impossible to resettle any of the Uighurs to Finland without UNHCR involvement, and extremely difficult even with such involvement. MACK