Viewing cable 09GENEVA203, REPORTING CABLE ON FEBRUARY 24-25 WORKING GROUP ON

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UNCLAS GENEVA 000203 
 
 
PASS TO REFCOORDS 
 
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TAGS: AF AS CA EI IC IZ JO NZ PHUM PK PREF PREL
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SUBJECT: REPORTING CABLE ON FEBRUARY 24-25 WORKING GROUP ON 
RESETTLEMENT MEETING 
 
¶1. (U) The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees 
(UNHCR) and the United Kingdom - current chair - convened a 
meeting of the Working Group on Resettlement (WGR) at the 
Palais des Nations in Geneva February 24 - 25. 
Representatives of 20 governments as well as UNHCR 
headquarters and field office staff engaged in resettlement 
participated. The United States was represented by Terry 
Rusch, PRM Director of Refugee Admissions in the Bureau of 
Population, Refugees and Migration, Department of State; 
Jennifer Higgins, Deputy Director of the Refugee Affairs 
Division, USCIS in the Department of Homeland Security; 
Barbara Day, PRM's Domestic Resettlement Chief; and Melissa 
Pitotti of the Office of Refugee and Migration Affairs at the 
U.S. Permanent Mission in Geneva. 
 
¶2. (U) UNHCR updated the group on resettlement 
referrals/departures progress in 2008 when it submitted for 
consideration over 120,000 refugees to resettlement countries 
(a 22 percent increase over 2007. 65,000 refugees referred 
by UNHCR departed for resettlement countries in 2008) a 31 
percent increase over 2007. The most significant developments 
since UNHCR distributed its Global Projected Resettlement 
Needs Document in June are: 1) in light of the security 
situation in Pakistan, virtually no progress can be made in 
utilizing resettlement for the 171,000 Afghans there 
identified as in need of resettlement; and 2) UNHCR has 
revised downward the 2009 resettlement need for Iraqis from 
86,000 to 60-65,000. The global economic crisis is taking its 
toll both on UNHCR's ability to continue to increase 
referrals and resettlement countries ability to receive and 
integrate them. Iceland and Ireland have already had to put 
their programs on hold and other governments may need to 
reduce their intake. 
 
¶3. (U) There was discussion of progress in responding to 
UNHCR's October "Flash Appeal" to meet the resettlement needs 
of vulnerable Palestinians from Iraq currently residing in 
difficult circumstances in Al Waleed, Al Tanf and Al Hol 
camps. UNHCR's efforts to refer these Palestinians have thus 
far resulted in referrals for about half of the original 
2,300 to various resettlement countries but another 1,150 
places are needed. For countries requiring in-person 
interviews, the pace of off-take will depend on the 
establishment of workable logistical arrangements. The U.S. 
reported that various "platforms" are being explored to 
facilitate processing of the several hundred Palestinians 
already referred to the U.S. The recent opening of the 
Evacuation Transit Center (ETC) in Timisoara, Romania will 
allow the transfer of some of the most vulnerable Palestinian 
cases in a matter of weeks. UNHCR also reported that other 
governments have offered use of their territory for this 
purpose on an ad hoc basis. 
 
¶4. (U) The issue of the integration of resettled refugees 
continues to be of interest to many resettlement countries. 
Some include "integration potential" in their selection 
process. UNHCR's Agenda for Protection "calls upon states to 
put in place policies to ensure that resettlement runs in 
tandem with a vigorous integration policy. Language training, 
education, vocational training, employment, support for 
family reunification ) these and many other activities are 
the building blocks of integration. And while resettlement is 
a way of protecting refugees and a tangible sign of 
responsibility-sharing by states, there is no doubt that 
refugees also make important contributions to their new 
societies." A draft longitudinal survey document to measure 
resettlement outcomes was distributed and will be further 
discussed at the Annual Tripartite Consultations (ATC) 
meeting in June. (In light of the fact that NGOs often play a 
significant role in the integration process, a few NGO 
representatives were included in the WGR meeting which is 
normally limited to governments and UNHCR. Many more NGO 
representatives will participate in June.) 
 
¶5. (U) WGR breakout sessions were devoted to topics 
including: the special challenges resettlement countries are 
encountering integrating Iraqis; best practices in the 
integration of vulnerable groups; assisting refugees to find 
employment and contribute to the community; and a discussion 
of improvements needed in "twinning" arrangements between 
established and emerging resettlement countries. 
 
¶6. (U) The U.S. hosted the five-country (U.S., Canada, 
Australia, New Zealand, U.K.) dinner on February 24. The U.S. 
reps briefed on current funding limitations for the UNHCR 
Resettlement Initiative that would result in our requiring 
UNHCR to meet U.S. referrals targets for each funded location 
before resettlement referrals are made to other resettlement 
countries. This could result in a significant reduction in 
referrals to countries that do not fund UNHCR's referrals 
capacity. At the request of various overseas processing 
partners, the U.S. also identified areas where delays in 
resettlement country decisions on medical cases are causing 
extreme hardship for refugees and the protracted delays in 
the off-take of approved cases is complicating refugee camp 
dynamics. We are providing case specific information to the 
countries in question. 
 
¶7. (U) The Annual Tripartite Consultations (ATC) are 
scheduled for June 30 ) July 2 in Geneva. 
 
 
STORELLA