VZCZCXRO6672
RR RUEHDBU
DE RUEHNT #1975/01 3190148
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 150148Z NOV 07
FM AMEMBASSY TASHKENT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 8765
INFO RUEHAH/AMEMBASSY ASHGABAT 3447
RUEHTA/AMEMBASSY ASTANA 9657
RUEHEK/AMEMBASSY BISHKEK 4063
RUEHDBU/AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE 3926
RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL 1965
RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW 7205
RUEHSM/AMEMBASSY STOCKHOLM 0173
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHINGTON DC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0001
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 0845
RUEHVEN/USMISSION USOSCE 2131

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 TASHKENT 001975 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
MOSCOW FOR REFUGEE OFFICER, DHS; 
USOSCE FOR ELIZABETH KAUFMAN 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/15/2017 
TAGS: PREL PREF PGOV UNDP UNHCR AF UZ
SUBJECT: LARGE-SCALE DEPORTATION OF AFGHAN REFUGEES 
POSSIBLE BY THE NEW YEAR 
 
REF: A. TASHKENT 1740 
     ¶B. TASHKENT 1664 
     ¶C. TASHKENT 1494 
 
Classified By: Poloff Tim Buckley for reasons 1.4 (B, D) 
 
¶1. (C) Summary.  On November 13 poloff met with UNDP Deputy 
Resident Representative Kyoko Postill to discuss the 
situation of Afghan refguees remaining in Uzbekistan. 
Postill said there has been no international uproar over the 
GOU's October 4 statement at the UNHCR Executive Committee 
announcing that "law enforcement authorities will take 
measures on their forced deportation from the country." 
UNHCR staff are presently in Tashkent conducting an 
assessment of remaining refugees to determine whether any 
more might qualify for resettlement programs.  The UNHCR team 
has already identified 60 individuals whom they believe might 
qualify for US resettlement, although this may depend on 
whether adult children of former Khad affiliates are 
eligible.  Sweden indicated that it may be able to 
accommodate a limited number of additional refugees for 
resettlement before the end of the year.  UNDP is urging 
UNHCR to make a decision quickly about whether to pay the GOU 
for visa documentation, relocate refugees to a third country, 
or accept that remaining refugees will be deported.  While 
some refugees have valid passports and financial means, there 
will still likely be several hundred refugees affected by 
anticipated deportations.  End summary. 
 
Uzbek Statement in Geneva 
------------------------- 
 
¶2. (C) Post obtained a copy of the statement made on October 
4 by Uzbekistan's Permanent Representative in Geneva to the 
50th Session of the Executive Committee of UNHCR.  The 
statement emphasized Uzbekistan's cooperation with UNHCR for 
many years in assisting refugees and facilitating 
humanitarian aid shipments.  Now that UNHCR is no longer able 
to operate in Uzbekistan, the statement added that UNDP was 
asked to "complete a resettlement process in the shortest 
possible time".  The statement reminded that Uzbekistan does 
not recognize refugee mandate certificates since it is not a 
party to the 1951 Convention on the Status of Refugees.  The 
Uzbeks added that, despite its recommendations, UNDP did not 
apply for appropriate visas for refugees "on a fee basis." 
As a result of this "violation of Uzbek legislation," the 
statement announced that "law enforcement authorities will 
take measures on their forced deportation from the country." 
 
UNHCR Assessment Under Way 
-------------------------- 
 
¶3. (C) Per reftel A, a 2-person UNHCR team arrived in 
Tashkent to reassess the refugees and determine their 
possible eligibility for resettlement programs, including to 
the United States.  Postill noted that UNHCR sent Belarussian 
nationals to conduct the assessments since they do not 
require visas to enter Uzbekistan, although UNDP did notify 
MFA of the project.  Postill reiterated that it is difficult 
to keep track of the exact number of refugees since they live 
all over the country and many have valid travel documents to 
travel back and forth (the last official count was 1,284, but 
the current figure is believed to be lower).  She said there 
is anecdotal evidence that some Afghan refugees have up to 
four passports, which they use to conceal travel.  As 
described in reftels, Postill again noted that even some 
refugees who have been deported have negotiated with Uzbek 
authorities not to place the removal stamps in the passports, 
allowing them to reenter even after deportation proceedings. 
The assessment team will "clean up the database" by the end 
of the month, which should provide a clearer understanding of 
how many bona fide Afghan refugees remain in Uzbekistan.  The 
GOU continues to refuse to provide UNDP with travel records 
of Afghans crossing the border with valid passports, which 
 
TASHKENT 00001975  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
would allow UNDP to focus its efforts on bona fide refugees. 
 
Adult Children of Khad Members Eligible? 
---------------------------------------- 
 
¶4. (C) Postill said preliminary estimates from the assessment 
team indicate there are at least 60 individuals (the number 
of cases is still unknown) who may be eligible for 
consideration for US resettlement programs.  This includes 
some people who slipped through the cracks during the last 
process (reftel B) and were not interviewed, but the majority 
are adult children of former Khad-affiliated refugees who 
grew up in Uzbekistan and had no personal involvement in the 
Khad regime.  A major question is whether these refugees are 
eligible to apply for US resettlement programs, and poloff 
promised to pass the information to DHS officers in Moscow. 
However, even if additional refugees are eligible for 
resettlement in the US or elsewhere in 2008, it will be too 
late if the GOU proceeds with deportations. 
 
Sweden May Take More Refugees 
----------------------------- 
 
¶5. (C) Sweden has indicated a willingness to accept 
approximately 40 additional cases for resettlement before the 
end of the year.  UNDP is hoping to confirm this as quickly 
as possible.  Per DCM's previous suggestion (reftel B), UNDP 
passed along the suggestion to approach Russia about 
accepting former Khad-affiliated refugees, but they have not 
received any feedback about this possibility. 
 
"They are Already Deporting People" 
----------------------------------- 
 
¶6. (C) Postill said the GOU is already deporting small 
numbers of Afghan refugees, but UNDP often does not find out 
until much later, if at all.  Many refugees avoid reporting 
imminent deportation to UNDP since they believe they can work 
out a better solution on their own, and the GOU does not 
readily share the information.  However, now that the Uzbeks 
have made the statement in Geneva, Postill believes they will 
proceed with "mass deportations" soon after the New Year. 
The definitive tones of the Uzbek statement in Geneva also 
indicates the GOU is not reconsidering its demand to collect 
visa fees, as reported in reftels A and B.  UNDP previously 
calculated that obtaining visas for remaining refugees would 
cost approximately $275 each for a one-year duration. 
Relocating the refugees to a third country is still possible 
despite drawbacks, but UNDP has heard no recent information 
about this.  Postill noted that UNDP "has no mandate and no 
budget" for refugees, and the onus is on UNHCR to make a 
decision very soon. 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
¶7. (C) Even if more refugees qualify for resettlement after 
UNHCR completes its assessment, there will still likely be 
several hundred refugees remaining when the GOU begins 
large-scale deportations.  The GOU likely feels that it 
documented the legal bases of its case in Geneva and provided 
fair warning of its plans to deport remaining refugees to 
Afghanistan.  UNDP is doing the best it can working outside 
of its mandate and comfort zone, and UNHCR efforts and funds 
are necessary to avoid deportations given the lack of 
available resettlement options.  While some Afghan refugees 
may have passports, business links, and financial resources, 
there are still many refugees who have political reasons to 
fear deportation to Afghanistan. 
 
NORLAND