UNHCR SAYS GVN TROUBLED BY ONGOING MONTAGNARD EMIGRATION TO

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 HANOI 000203 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE FOR EAP/MLS AND PRM, BANGKOK FOR REFUGEE COORDINATOR, GENEVA FOR RMA E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM PREF KIRF CB VM SUBJECT: UNHCR SAYS GVN TROUBLED BY ONGOING MONTAGNARD EMIGRATION TO CAMBODIA, QUESTIONING UNHCR'S ROLE REFS: Hanoi 0100 HANOI 00000203 001.2 OF 002 ¶1. (SBU) Summary: UNHCR Deputy Regional Representative Giuseppe de Vincentis and Vietnam Officer-in-Charge Vu Anh Son met with the Ambassador on February 19 to discuss the need for a timely solution to the growing UNHCR Montagnard camp population in Cambodia. De Vincentis said UNHCR was not in a position to open up a fourth camp in Cambodia to accommodate the increasing numbers, and the Vietnamese individuals eligible for the Visas 93 program should apply in Vietnam, rather than cross the border into Cambodia. De Vincentis also said that GVN officials told him they were becoming nervous with the increasing number of Montagnard emigres and questioned the benefits of the GVN - RGC - UNHCR Tripartite MOU, now entering its fourth year. The Ambassador and de Vincentis agreed that, as a first step, a targeted information campaign was needed to help remedy the current situation. De Vincentis noted that USDHS was currently helping to clear a 200-person backlog of cases warranting USG final review. End Summary. ¶2. (SBU) In a February 19 Hanoi meeting, UNHCR Deputy Regional Representative Giuseppe de Vincentis briefed the Ambassador on the situation in the three UNHCR-run Montagnard "sites" (aka camps) in Phnom Penh and his earlier meeting with GVN officials. UNHCR is concerned that its three sites in Cambodia are now at maximum capacity, with 550 Montagnard refugee seekers at different stages of processing. Although most are denied refugee status by UNHCR, a steady stream of Montagnard arrivals to Cambodia continues. According to UNHCR Cambodia reports, there were 51 Montagnard arrivals in January 2008, and by February 5, there were already 12 for the month of February, an increase from 2007 monthly averages. De Vincentis explicitly told the Ambassador that UNHCR would not open a fourth site in Cambodia. (Note: In a meeting later the same day with HCMC CG, DPO, and refugee officer, de Vincentis indicated that UNHCR had considered opening a fourth site, but quickly rejected the idea because of budget constraints and the potential pull factor. End note.) ¶3. (SBU) The GVN Ministry of Foreign Affairs has become uncomfortable with the growing number of Montagnard border crossers, as the Tri-Partite MOU (GVN-RGC-UNHCR) enters its fourth year. The MOU was meant to eventually reduce border crossing, but the Vietnamese say they see no end in sight. According to de Vincentis, GVN officials diplomatically suggested to him that UNHCR had become a magnet, after the GVN allowed UNHCR full access to the Central Highlands. They suggested to de Vincentis that the pre-MOU days may have been better, as UNHCR was now "producing refugees." The GVN maintains that it has worked hard to develop the Central Highlands region and provide more opportunities for its ethnic minority inhabitants. ¶4. (SBU) At the camps in Cambodia, de Vincentis said that USDHS will soon interview the 200-person "UNHCR screened out" (denied refugee status by UNHCR) case backlog, dating to before the May 1, 2007 policy. This should help some, de Vincentis said, but he remains concerned about the large number of derivative status/Visas-93-eligible cases. Although Montagnards may have their Visas-93 cases processed at our Humanitarian Resettlement Section (HRS) in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC),many are still making the choice to cross the border into Cambodia instead. De Vincentis suggested to the Ambassador that we need to get such individuals to apply in Vietnam rather than cross the border. ¶5. (SBU) De Vincentis said there appear to be many factors leading individuals to cross the border. These include difficulty in obtaining documentation required for the Visas-93 application in Vietnam, associated documentation fees and the cost for travel to HCMC, sponsors in the United States not executing the necessary documentation, and possible encouragement by Montagnard activists in the United States. Interviews of border crossers suggest that the Montagnard Foundation Incorporated of South Carolina may be encouraging Montagnards to go to UNHCR in Cambodia rather than apply under Visas-93 in Vietnam. ¶6. (SBU) De Vincentis and the Ambassador discussed a targeted information campaign in the Central Highlands to make the Visas-93 program work better in Vietnam. De Vincentis noted that the vast majority of arrivals were coming from three districts in Gia Lai Province and two districts in Dak Lak Province of the Central Highlands. The Ambassador agreed with De Vincentis that a Visas-93 information campaign would be worthwhile and said he would discuss it with the HCMC HRS, working with State's PRM Bureau. ¶7. HCMC's HRS is already working on providing training to local civil registrar and passport office officials in the Central Highlands about U.S. resettlement requirements to include HANOI 00000203 002.2 OF 002 information on who is eligible for Visas-93 and what documents the U.S. needs for resettlement processing. HRS has informally discussed the idea with MPS Department of Immigration and Emigration officials in HCMC as well as some local officials in the Central Highlands. PRM has provided HRS relevant English-language training materials that need to be translated into Vietnamese. ¶8. (U) This cable was coordinated with Consulate General Ho Chi Minh City. MICHALAK