Refugees faced with open hostility, resentment worldwide in 1986; Assembly backs plan for conference on plight of refugees in Southern Africa.

Refugees faced with open hostility, resentment worldwide in 1986

Assembly backs plan for conference on plight of refugees in southern Africa 

Open hostility and mistrust toward the world's 12.6 million refugees escalated in 1986, threatening to paralyse international co-ordination and co-operation on the issue, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees told United Nations delegates in November 1987. Jean-Pierre Hocke, the United Nations High Commissioner, outlined the highlights of his report on the global status of refugees before a crowded meeting of the Third Committee.

The year 1986, he stated, had been dominated by four major trends: a majority of refugees had been compelled to stay longer and longer in the countries of first asylum; the number of refugees was multiplying as a result of old and new crises; refugees and asylum-seekers were arriving at frontiers in a growing number of countries on all continents; and the tendency to confuse refugees and economic migrants was becoming stronger, confusion which could lead to an impasse if States were not careful.

The UNHCR reported that in 1986 there had been no emergency refugee situations such as the one in Africa in 1985. Refugee influxes in 1986 were generally offset by organized or spontaneous repatriation, principally in Africa and to a limited extent in Latin America and Asia. Peaceful settlement of conflict in Afghanistan, Kampuchea and in the Horn of Africa would involve the return of six to seven million refugees to their countries, Mr. Hocke said.

The High Commissioner, who just completed the second year of his first term in office, was interviewed by the Chronicle in November. The year 1986 "was especially bad in the attitude taken toward refugees," he said.

Photo: UNHCR seeks durable solutions.