Fact Sheet on Refugees from Vietnam in Hong Kong
Refugee population at 1 November 1979
62,591
Background
Hong Kong, with a land area of only 1,045 sq kms (404 sq miles), much of which is unproductive hillside and barren islets, has a population of nearly 5 million. This is equivalent to an overall density of 4,784 persons per sq km, compared to densities of 3,921 in Singapore, 230 in the United Kingdom and 22 in the USA. In the main urban areas (Hong Kong Island, Kowloon, New Kowloon and Tsuen Wan), where most of the population lives, the density reaches 25,400 persons per sq kan. In one district, Mongkok, there are about 144,000 persons per sq km, eight times that of Tokyo. 98% of the people of Hong Kong are ethnic Chinese.
2.
Hong Kong also has to contend with all the problems of absorbing large numbers of immigrants from China who enter both legally and illegally. In 1978 and 1979 there have been about 230,000 immigrants, representing an addition to the population of 4.8% in just 22 months.
Boat Refugee Arrivals and Resettlement
3.
The first boat refugees to arrive in Hong Kong were the 3,743 on board the Clara Maersk in May 1975. It took almost 3 years to resettle
Meanwhile, refugees continued to arrive and the trickle of 1976 (191) and 1977 (1,001) turned into a flood in 1978 (6,609) and 1979. The rate at which they have been resettled abroad has been disappointingly slow (for detailed resettlement destinations see Appendix).
Daily
1975
1978
Arrived
11,544
Average Resettled
Daily Average
6,181
Jan
Mar 1979 14,061
156
2,291
25
Apr Jun
·
44.482
489
2,744
30
Jul
Sep
11
13,874
151
8,009
87
Oct
零零
572
18
3,239
104
Sub total Jan
-
Oct
11
72,989
240
16,283
54
Total 1975
Oct 1979
84.533
22.464
L.
The number of This figure takes
All refugees on small boats have been given first asylum in Hong Kong; none have been turned away or fired upon. refugees in Hong Kong at 1 November 1979 was 62,591. into account births and deaths amongst the refugee population while waiting in Hong Kong for resettlement offers (640 births and 211 deaths in 1979).