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4.
However the comparative resettlement statistics are interpreted, Hong Kong has so far come off badly. The table of regional arrivals and resettlement in para 11 of the fact sheet shows that up to September Hong Kong had the second lowest resettlement rate of any place of first asylum. That comparison takes into account the numbers awaiting resettlement at the end of 1978 as well as arrivals in 1979 to 30 September. We accept
that the rate was bound to be higher for Malaysia, given the fact that many refugees there had been waiting in camps for much longer than anywhere else in the region; and this argument was used by UNHCR in explaining to us the basis of their advice to countries which asked for it rather than setting their own allocations.
However that argument should begin to tell in favour of Hong Kong (and Indonesia) now that the numbers resettled this year from Malaysia (51,180) are greater than her total hoat refugee population at the end of 1978 (49,577). Hong Kong already has about 30,000 refugees who have spent more than 5 months here. All refugees here have now been registered by UNHCR. This was not the case a few months ago and was no doubt a minor contributory factor to the low resettlement rate.
5.
The following table puts the UNHCR statistics of regional arrivals and resettlement of boat refugees in a comparative form which we hope resettlement countries can be asked to bear in mind when making future allocations:
Refugee population at end 1978
arrivals
As % of
Resettlement
A3% of
Refugee
As%
population of
Jan-Sep 1979
total
Jan-Sep 1979
total
30 Sep
total
Hong Kong
78,435
29.6
13,229
15.7
65,206
36.0
Malaysia
100,928
38.1
51,180
60.6
49,743
22.6
Indonesia
50,067
18.9
6.089
7.2
43,978
24.4
Thailand
1.4,012
5.3
6,024
7.1
7,988
4.4
Philippines
9,335
3.5
3,044
3.6
6,311
3.5
Singapore
5,480
2.1
3,455
4.1
2,025
1.1
Others
6,314
2.4
1,417
1.7
4,897
2.7
Total:
264,590
100%
84,438
100%
180,153
100%
The effect of the proportionately slower resettlement rate from Hong Kong shows clearly in the final column. If the resettlement rate had matched the end 1978 refugee population plus 1979 arrivals 25,000 would have left in 1979 instead of 13,200 and the refugee population at the end of September would have been 53,000 instead of 65,000.
6.
In asking that numbers should be allocated fairly to Hong Kong, we are well aware of the huge number of land refugees in Thailand. For some countries, notably the US and France, there are traditional links which understandably result in large proportions of their quotas for Indo-China refugees being allo- cated to land refugees in Thailand. The UNHCR statistics show that of the 118,132 refugees resettled this year, 33,172 (28%)
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