275. Telegram From the Embassy in Czechoslovakia to the Department of State1
5348.
Prague, November 8, 1984,
1740Z
SUBJECT
- GDR Refugees in FRG Embassy.
- 1.
- S—Entire text.
- 2.
- East German refugees in FRG
Embassy here have begun today departing quietly to return to the
GDR. FRG Ambassador Meyer (protect) told me that a
middle-ground decision has been taken “unilaterally” by the GDR Government to offer, for a short
period of time, conditions that the FRG finds acceptable under which the refugees
[Page 844]
- —
- Can return to the GDR without fear of persecution,
- —
- And apply to “local” authorities for emigration.
According to Meyer the GDR will not give “assurances” as they have in the past that the returning refugees will be able to emigrate to the FRG within a few months’ time. The FRG has been led to understand, however, that there is a good chance that emigration will be permitted for all the refugees after an uncertain waiting period. The GDR believes that this decision may permit the relief of this problem in Prague but not promote a dramatic new flow of refugees.
- 3.
- Meyer hopes that this GDR view is correct since before the departure of about 20 refugees today from his Embassy, the number of asylees had reached 161 and was still rising. Meyer said that he met with the entire group this morning and told them the news. He urged them to take these assurances now, together with several additional assurances from the FRG. Meyer did not enumerate the FRG assurances but presumably they dealt with the FRG’s commitment to continue to negotiate early emigration of each individual who agreed to return to the GDR.
- 4.
- Meyer said the process of emptying his Embassy will take several days. He indicated that if the word gets out and many more East Germans come in as the others leave the GDR might discontinue this arrangement. Meyer said there are many complicated cases, for example some of the refugees entered Czechoslovakia illegally. He has begun working today with the Czechoslovak Government to assure that the police “protection” in front of his Embassy does not interfere with the departing East Germans.
- 5.
- It is unclear what the FRG had to give up for this arrangement. They may have agreed to pay a considerably higher price per emigrant. Meyer said, however, that Genscher had refused to agree to the building of a more-restricted entry to the FRG Embassy here since it could be interpreted as a restrictive approach to “some German citizens”. Meyer indicated that Vogel is now involved in intensive telephone conversations with Bonn over the individual complicated cases now in the Embassy.
- 6.
- Comment: This is good news for Meyer who has been exhausted by this past two months. It is difficult to imagine, however, that the news of this breakthrough can be kept quiet for long. Once it is out, the flow into the Embassy will increase again. I assured Meyer that it would not be the US Government that lets the word out.
- 7.
- Department may wish to pass Embassies Bonn and Berlin.
Luers
- Source: Reagan Library, Executive Secretariat, NSC Cable File, Europe (State) NODIS IN (04/24/1984–11/30/1984). Secret; Immediate; Nodis.↩