CONFIDENTIAL
GR 150
CODENTIAL.
DES BY 211200Z
FM HONG KONG 211135Z JAN 79
TO IMMEDIATE FCQ
TELEGRAM NUMBER 143 OF 21 JANUARY.
TOR
HKK 243/1 COBAN1979
RECEIVED IN REGISERY NO. 51
INDEX
PA
REGORY
Action on
по
YOUR TELNO 69: WRITTEN PQ ON REFUGEES FROM VIETNAM.
1.
WE SUGGEST YOU REPLY TO MR CLARKE'S QUESTION ON THE LINES OF PARA 2.
2. AS OF 21 JANUARY THERE WERE 9,670 PEOPLE ORIGINALLY FROM VIETNAM WISHING TO BE RESETTLED FROM HONG KONG. OF THESE, 3,771 WERE UNDER UNHCR CARE. THE REMAINDER, INCLUDING THE PASSENGERS ON THE ''HUEY FONG'', WERE UNDER DETENTION OR BEING PROCESSED TO
DETERMINE THEIR STATUS.
3.
THE 3,771 INCLUDE 357 BOAT REFUGEES TEMPORARILY TRANSFERRED TO MACAU BUT WHO REMAIN UNDER THE CARE OF THE UNHCR OFFICE IN
HONG KONG, THE REMAINING 5,899 INCLUDE:
(A) THE ESTIMATED 3,383 PASSENGERS ON THE
'HUEY FONG (CURRENT PROCESSING SUGGESTS THE FINAL TOTAL MAY BE A BIT HIGHER):
(B) 2,516 ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS FROM CHINA WHO WERE ORIGINALLY FROM VIETNAM AND WHOM WE FEAR CHINA WILL REFUSE TO ACCEPT BACK. WE
ARE STILL NEGOTIATING WITH CHINA ON THIS PROBLEM AND WOULD NOT WISH
A SEPARATE FIGURE TO BE PUBLISHED.
MACLEHOSE
FILES
COPIES TO.
PK & GD
PS
HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON
UND
PS/LORD GOROMWWY-ROBERTS
SEAD
PS/MR LUARD
MR BURLEIGH
HOME OFFICE
FED
PS/PUS
SAD
SIR A DUFT
MR BIRT
EID (E)
MR CORTAZZI
QUEEN ANNE'S GATE
HOME OFFICE
LUNAR HOUSE CROYDON
FUSD
MR WEIR
OJD
HR MURRAY
IPD
NEWS D
IVD
CONFIDENTI AL
184