US embassy cable - 05OTTAWA3065

S E C R E T OTTAWA 003065 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/12/2015 
TAGS: KAWC, MOPS, PREL, PTER, PHUM, PREF, PINR 
SUBJECT: REQUEST FOR RESETTLEMENT ASSISTANCE OF CERTAIN 
DETAINEES FROM GUANTANAMO 
 
REF: SECSTATE 183800 
 
Classified By: POL/MC - BRIAN FLORA FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D) 
 
1. (S)  On October 12, 2005 POL M/C raised the Uighur 
resettlement issue with Michael Small, Acting ADM (Assistant 
Deputy Minister) for Global Affairs at Foreign Affairs 
Canada.  Small, who is also Director General for Human Rights 
and Humanitarian Affairs, had been briefed by FAC,s Senior 
Advisor for Migration and Refugees, Kathryn Porter, who was 
demarched last week by PolOff on the same subject.  Porter 
joined the meeting. 
 
2. (S) Small assured POL M/C that the Government of Canada 
would take our request very seriously.  He could not commit 
to a positive decision, as much depended upon the 
admissibility of the individuals in question under Canadian 
law.  He also asked why the USG couldn,t issue some sort of 
humanitarian parole for them; POL M/C replied that settlement 
in the US had been carefully considered, but the 
individuals, backgrounds made this exceptionally difficult 
under the INA.  Small did accept that resettlement outside of 
China was essential, and that the humanitarian plight of the 
individuals would continue to grow unless they were placed in 
a safe environment where they could be welcomed and settled 
into a community. 
 
3. (S) Porter noted that the list of the 22 detainees had 
already been taken to the appropriate office at Citizenship 
and Immigration Canada (CIC) for examination and review.  She 
commended close and ongoing contact between CIC and the PRM 
Bureau on such issues and referred to a &resettlement 
protocol8 which was signed as a side agreement to the Safe 
Third Agreement.  This provided, she thought, for a referral 
to Canada of up to 200 complicated or exceptional 
resettlement cases per year.  Porter said a handful of 
Haitian detainees had already benefited from the program, and 
this might be a vehicle to take care of some of the Uighurs 
under consideration. She promised to keep us informed as the 
vetting and processing developed. 
 
Visit Canada's Classified Web Site at 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/wha/ottawa 
 
WILKINS