S1.25 Indo-Chinese applicants in refugee camps

1. At an international conference on Indo-Chinese refugees in June 1989, New Zealand and other countries agreed to a Comprehensive Plan of Action (CPA) for resettling Vietnamese refugees.
2. Under the CPA, Vietnamese who arrived in refugee camps before the cut-off dates listed below have been granted prima facie refugee status, and may be considered for residence in New Zealand under Government Residence policy or the refugee programme:
   • Hong Kong 16 June 1988
   • Malaysia 14 March 1989
   • Thailand 14 March 1989
   • Philippines 14 March 1989
   • Indonesia 17 March 1989.
3. To determine whether they met the UNHCR criteria for granting refugee status, Vietnamese who arrived in camps after these dates were screened as follows:
   1. those who met the criteria (ie, were 'screened in') may be accepted for entry if eligible under the Refugee Quota (see R6.15); and
   2. those who did not meet the criteria (ie, were 'screened out') may not be accepted for entry under the Refugee Quota and must return to Vietnam to pursue an application.
4. Branches of the NZIS may initially consider, in the same way as from applicants in Vietnam, residence applications from Vietnamese, Cambodians and Laotian applicants who are:
   1. living in refugee camps, and
   2. sponsored by relatives in New Zealand.
5. Applications approved in principle must be referred to the appropriate branch or post for completion.

   Note: Such applications may involve applicants in refugee camps, but applications to migrate to New Zealand as refugees cannot be processed under the procedures set out in this section.

6. Any branch receiving an application for a Vietnamese in a refugee camp must check the refugee status of the applicant.
7. Cut-off dates do not apply to Cambodians or Laotians in refugee camps.

Effective 26/07/1999