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As the resettlement rate was very low so far and the number of resettlement places still very low, it was estimated that there would be at least 60,000 Vietnamese refugees in Hong Kong by the year end.
Sir Jack said he thought this would prove to be an underestimate.
3.
Despite the recent visit of Mr. D. De Haan, Deputy UNHCR, to Hanoi, so far the arrangements aimed at achieving a programme of orderly departures from Vietnam had not reduced the outflow from the country. Mr. Davies summarized by saying
that :-
4.
(a)
(b)
(c)
it was essential that the resettlement rate be accelerated. Some countries, such as Malaysia, had achieved a higher resettlement rate than Hong Kong in the first three months of 1979, but the influx during this period was in fact less (13,400 arrivals in Malaysia compared with 14,000 in Hong Kong);
the UNHCR's Office was already very stretched, with only very limited capacity to handle and process the refugees. As a result, two-thirds of them were being looked after by the Hong Kong Government; and
with a local population of about 5 million and a severe shortage of space, the influx of Vietnamese refugees had accentuated the problems for the Government's social and development programmes, leading to increasing resentment from the local people who were bringing pressure on the Administration to cease the humane approach to refugees.
Ambassador Clark commended the Hong Kong Government on its humanitarian approach. He was fully aware that Hong Kong was the only government in South-East Asia which did not tow away refugee boats. He said that it was wrong for the Macanese Authorities to tow out these boats. Portugal was a signatory to the UN Convention on Refugees. However, he conceded that Hong Kong's approach did attract refugees. Ambassador Clark further said he saw little evidence that Mr. De Haan's arrangements with Hanoi were yet starting to be effective.
5.
Ambassador Clark said that the United States Government had taken new initiatives to accord refugec matters a higher priority. In order to develop a consistent policy towards refugees, a high-level co-ordinating office had been established and he was appointed the United States Government Co-ordinator for Refugee Matters. Moreover, a legislative package had been devised and was likely to be passed this summer which would put the acceptance of refugees by the United States on a more rational basis. The
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