12 Western Nations Begin Meetings on Refugee Problems
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GERZENSEE, Switzerland — Representatives of 12 Western governments began three days of talks Wednesday on coordinating ways to handle the stream of Third World refugees into their countries.
The informal meeting also was intended to increase cooperation with U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees Jean-Pierre Hocke of Switzerland, who is attending the talks.
The meeting in a castle outside Bern follows discussions last year in Stockholm and The Hague.
Swiss Justice Minister Elisabeth Kopp told the opening session that immigration restrictions by some countries have led to mounting domestic pressure in the others to limit the influx of refugees.
Participating countries are Switzerland, Belgium, West Germany, Denmark, France, Britain, the Netherlands, Norway, Austria, Sweden, Australia and Canada.
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