20514 ?
CODE 18-77
Mr Morrice
2
Mr Williamson
FIDENT
20. 3
Reference.
R&R to me 21113
REGISTRY
T:L
VISIT TO HONG KONG:
1.
VIETNAMESE REFUGEES IN HONG KONG
INDEX
FA
по
REZU
25.3
Aw 26/3
I discussed the problem with the Secretary for Security, Mr Davies, and a number of other officials and visited the refugee clearing centre and two transit camps.
General situation
2. Although the numbers continue to decrease, they are still considerable and there is a risk of a rump of refugees becoming a semi-permanent presence. There have already been some signs of increased crime and juvenile delinquency in some of the camps partly because in many families both parents are working. The main problem, however, remains the danger of a renewed flood of refugees arriving before the bulk of the present lot have been cleared. This would cause not only major practical problems but would also revive strong local opposition in Hong Kong.
Resettlement
قدم
3. Further efforts to speed up resettlement are therefore needed:
a) To the UK. During his recent visit Mr Hartling of UNHCR
mentioned to the Governor that the slow rate of offtake to the UK was a difficulty in getting other countries to respond.. (Comment: In the meantime the Home Office have indicated that they are making efforts to deal with the problem through the JCVR and the voluntary agencies and we have passed this on to Hong Kong. We will however need to keep up the pressure). There was praise for the recent Home Office team seeking volunteers for the UK and in particular for the work of Mr Bao, former Mayor of Saigon. Hong Kong would like him to go again.
b) To other countries. We cannot of course have too many
illusions about our recent lobbying exercise. The United States in particular are going to find it difficult to increase their offtake and Hong Kong are concerned that they may not keep up to their 2,000 per month undertaking. Nevertheless the pressure must be kept up.
Possible revived flow from Vietnam
22
4. Hong Kong's interests are of course somewhat contradictory. On the one hand they want refugees to be taken directly from Vietnam in order to prevent a new exodus but they do not want to see this at the expense of an offtake from Hong Kong. One point which caused them concern is that during the recent visit of
a Save the Children Fund representative he told voluntary agencies in Hong Kong that he would be asking in Britain for a new quota to be established by the British Government concentrating on refugees from other countries rather than Hong Kong. Hong Kong hope that if this were to happen we would see that their interests were protected. At the moment I imagine that the possibility of a new quota is academic.
CONFIDENTIAL
/ Philippines