CONFIDENTIAL
ANNEX G
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF UK INVOLVEMENT IN THE "BOAT REFUGEE" PROBLEM
In 1976 when influxes of "boat refugees" began to arrive at various ports in South-East Asia, most countries in the region were inclined to refuse permission for them to land; one of their motives was to avoid becoming dumping grounds for refugees who might not find alternative countries of resettlement.
The year before, just after the fall of Saigon, Hong Kong had given safe haven to 4,000 shipwrecked Vietnamese. Many were eventually resettled in the USA, but some had to be allowed to stay in Hong Kong. The Colony was already overcrowded and had other problems with illegal immigrants from China. Despite this, however, the Hong Kong authorities, for humanitarian reasons, adopted a liberal approach to the question of accepting "boat refugees" The British and Hong Kong governments maintained close contact with the Americans and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and, with the Americans, were instrumental in internationalising the problem. We wanted the burden to be more evenly spread; it was evident the countries in the region could not cope on their own. In an effort, therefore, to spread the burden, the UNHCR appealed to Governments for resettlement places for these refugees. In response to that appeal the Home Secretary agreed to admit to the UK a quota of 116 Indo-Chinese refugees. Most of those who eventually came here within this quota were from Singapore and Thailand; only a few came from Hong Kong. At this time countries in the region were refusing to allow even the temporary landing of refugees unless third countries were prepared to provide acceptance guarantees on their behalf. When the quota of 116 was filled, the Home Secretary decided that the British Government could give guarantees, when these were required, on behalf of refugees rescued by UK-registered shipping. This arrangement has, with one exception (the refusal of the Taiwanese authorities to accept a guarantee on behalf of the 346 refugees rescued by the ss WELLPARK) enabled British ships to off load refugees at their first ports of call following rescue operations. Despite the open-ended nature of this commitment, experience has shown that, at least up to the summer of 1978, most of the people on whose behalf we have given guarantees have in fact been satisfactorily resettled in other countries (mainly in the USA) without having to be brought to the United Kingdom. In the past few months, this has changed; the majority of those now rescued by our vessels have to be brought to the United Kingdom after a period, usually of three months.
In January this year, when Hong Kong had 500 "boat refugees" on its hands, the Hong Kong authorities asked whether we might be able to take some. The Home Office agreed and admitted 61 Vietnamese refugees from Hong Kong in the autumn of this year.
The Foreign and Commonwealth Secretary, because of the increasing numbers pouring out of Vietnam and the consequent problems they have posed for Malaysia, Thailand and Hong Kong, asked the Home Secretary to consider admitting to the United Kingom 1,500 refugees (500 each from Hong Kong, Malaysia and Thailand) whose arrival would be phased over a period of time. No decision has been reached on the matter.
CONFIDENTIAL