PCC MEETING ON EASTERN EUROPEAN REFUGEES

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90M01243R001300030001-4
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 5
• Document Creation Date: December 23, 2016
• Document Release Date: September 17, 2013
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: October 12, 1989
• Content Type: MEMO

STAT
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/11/08
: CIA-RDP90M01243R001300030001-4
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/11/08
: CIA-RDP90M01243R001300030001-4
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/11/08: CIA-RDP90M01243R001300030001-4
NCLASSIEIED WITH
CON ATTACHMENT
MEMORANDUM TO:
MR. BRENT SCOWCROFT
National Security Affairs
Advisor
The White House
MR. CARNES LORD
Assistant to the Vice President
for National Security Affairs
Old Executive Office Building
MR. ROBERT S. ROSS, JR.
Executive Assistant to the
Attorney General
Department of Justice
MS ROBIN H. CARLE
Executive Secretary
Department of Health
and Human Services
MR. H. LAWRENCE SANDAL
Executive Secretary
Central Intelligence Agency
SUBJECT: PCC Meeting on Eastern
United States Department of State
Washington, D.C. 20520
October 12, 19
MR. ROGER PORTER
Assistant to the President
for Economic and Domestic
Policy Development
The White House
COLONEL GEORGE P. COLE, JR.
Executive Secretary
Department of Defense
MR. JAMES BUCK
Acting Commissioner
Immigration and Naturalization
Service
MR. FRANK HODSOLL
Executive Associate Director
for National Security and
International Affairs
Office of Management and Budget
European Refugees
Please transmit the attached meeting notification to
principals of the Policy Coordinating Committee on refugees.
Attachment:
As stated
. Stapleton Roy
xecutive Secretary
UNCLASSIFIED WITH
Ur .i. t.EHTIAL?ATTAQMENT
3-4 13 -14,
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'
UNITED STATES COORDINATOR
FOR REFUGEE AFFAIRS
WASH I NGTON, D.C. 20520
UNCLASSIFIED (with CONFIDENTIAL attachment)
MEMORANDUM
October 11, 1989
TO: Policy Coordinating Committee
on Refugees Participants
FROM S/R - JEWEII47 LAFONTANT
Chairperson
PCC on Refugees
SUBJECT: PCC Meeting on Eastern European Refugees
I have scheduled a meeting of the Policy Coordinating
Committee on Refugees to discuss policy recommendations on
Eastern European refugees.
DATE: Thursday, October 19, 1989
TIME: 10:30 a.m.
LOCATION: Room 7516, Department of State
AGENDA: Eastern European Refugees
Principals plus one are invited to attend the meeting at the
Assistant Secretary level. Participants should phone their
attendance to Ms. Joyce McDaniel at 647-3964.
Discussions will be based on the attached paper which we
submit for your review and comments.
CC:
M - Mr. Selin
D - Mr. Juster
RP - Amb. Lyman
CA - Ms. Clark
HA - Amb. Schifter
H - Ms. Mullins
L - Judge Sofaer
EUR - Mr. Seitz
UNCLASSIFIED
(with CONFIDENTIAL attachment)
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/11/08: CIA-RDP90M01243R001300030001-4
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/11/08: CIA-RDP90M01243R001300030001-4
CONFIDENTIAL
REFUGEE POLICY FOR POLES AND HUNGARIANS
Issue:
Whether to restrict refugee processing and admission of
Polish and Hungarian applicants.
Essential Factors:
Internal democratization in Poland and Hungary has
virtually eliminated restrictions on travel and emigration for
citizens of those countries. Hungary has just passed a new
emigration law that upon, enactment, will make it eligible for
indefinite MFN status without the need for waivers. UNHCR will
be establishing an office in Budapest in the near future.
Western European countries who have traditionally offered
refuge to Eastern European asylum seekers are now complaining
that, in the case of Poles and Hungarians, our refugee policy
is a magnet for economic migrants. They would like us to take
measures to discourage new arrivals. The FRG intends to return
Poles and Hungarians who are not resettled elsewhere within
three months of arrival, although INS-approved refugees may
remain until the end of calendar 89. Austria has indicated
that it may act similarly.
Current U.S. policy is to consider all Polish and Hungarian
refugee applications. 81 percent of the 25,000 Eastern
European refugee applicants awaiting interviews are Poles and
Hungarians. 500 more signed up in August. Because FY 89
numbers were running out, we stopped interviewing last June.
Interviews are scheduled to resume in October with the
beginning of the new fiscal year. The bulk of the FY 90
Eastern European numbers are already committed (to Belgrade
processing, family reunification, Romanian TCP, and approved
cases that could not be moved in FY 89 because of insufficient
numbers) and there is already a limit on how many we can
interview in FY 90. Even if admissions numbers were unlimited,
INS might not have the capacity to interview the 25,000 backlog
from FY 89 during FY 90. Thus we face the prospect of keeping
those who register in FY 90 (including some genuine refugees)
waiting at least a year for an interview.
CONFIDENTIAL
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/11/08: CIA-RDP90M01243R001300030001-4
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CONFIDENTIAL
- 2 -
Polish and Hungarian registrants are at the heart of this
dilemma. In considering modifications to U.S. policy on these
refugee applicants, we have the following options:
1. Discontinue refugee processing and admission for Priority 6
Poles and Hungarians who register in FY 90. Interview all
those previously registered.
2. Discontinue refugee processing and admission for Priority 6
Poles and Hungarians, including those previously registered.
This would eliminate most of the interview backlog.
3. Review Polish and Hungarian refugees adjudicated earlier
but not-yet resettled in the U.S. and rescind their refugee
status, as appropriate.
4. Restrict processing of Polish and Hungarian cases to those
of special interest (i.e. Priority 1), except on a case-by-case
basis after clearance is received from Washington.
5. Maintain policy as now in effect.
CONFIDENTIAL
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/11/08: CIA-RDP90M01243R001300030001-4