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TELEGRAM NUMBER 970 OF #1 AUG
INFO PRIORITY OTTAWA
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY NO. 14
5. AUG 1980
INFO ROUTINE UKMIS GENEVA HONG KONG GOVERNMENI DEFICE LONDON
VIETNAMESE REFUGEES: RESETTLEMENT IN CANADA.
DESK OFACER
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Action Taken
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WE HAVE HEARD FROM CANADIAN COMMISSION OFFICIALS THAT CANADA'S REFUGEE RESETTLEMENT QUOTA FOR 1981 WILL BE DECIDED IN AUGUST/SEPTEMBER BY THE CANBINET. THIS WAS ALSO STATED BY M VIGNEAU, ASSISTANT DEPUTY MINISTER FOR QUEBEC, WHO VISITED HONG KONG RECENTLY. IF YOU AGREE, GRATEFUL IF OTTAWA COULD MAKE REPRES- ENTATIONS TO THE DEPARTMENT OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS ON OUR BEHALF, TO ENSURE THAT A GENEROUS SHARE OF THE NEW AUOTA IS ALLOCATED
TO REFUGEES IN HONG KONG.
2. THE CANADIAN PROGRAMME HERE (SECOND ONLY IN NUMBERS TO THE
U S) HAS BEEN OF MAJOR IMPORTANCE TO HONG KONG, WITH SOME 10,400 REFUGEES RESETTLED SINCE JANUARY 1979. WE HAVE TOLD THE CANADIAN COMMISSION HOW GRATEFUL WE HAVE BEEN FOR THE WAY IN WHICH THEIR QUOTAS HAVE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT THE PROPORTION OF THE BOAT REFUGEE BURDEN BORNE BY HONG KONG AND OUR ANXIETY THAT THIS SHOULD CONTINUE IN THE 1961 QUOTA (THE GOVERNOR HAS SPOKEN IN SIMILAR TERMS TO THE CANADIAN SECRETARY OF STATE FOR EXTERNAL AFFAIRS - SEE THE POLITICAL ADVISER'S LETTER OF 3 JULY TO BERTHOUD, NAD). THE CANDAIAN PROGRAMME HAS ALSO BEEN CARRIED OUT SPEEDILY AND EFFICIENTLY (AND WE HAVE GIVEN EVERY SUPPORT). HOWEVER, ONLY A FURTHER 460 REFUGEES ARE DUE TO LEAVE (IN OCTOBER) UNDER THE 1980 QUOTA AND AS A RESULT THE RATE OF RESETTLEMENT FOR REFUGEES HERE WILL DECLINE CONSIDERABLY
FOR THE REST OF THE YEAR.
3. WE HAVE AT PRESENT SOME 32,000 REFUGEES AWAITING RESETTLEMENT (THIS DOES NOT INCLUDE THOSE WHO HAVE COME HERE AFTER BEING SETTLED IN CHINA AND WHO ARE HELD IN DETENTION PENDING RETURN TO CHINA) I E SOME 40 PER CENT OF THE TOTAL REGIONAL BURDEN OF ECAT REFUGEES. OUR PRESENT ESTIMATE, GIVEN CURRENT PROGRAMMES AND EXPECTED NEW ARRIVALS FROM VIETNAM, IS THAT THERE WILL STILL BE OVER 20,000 REFUGEES HERE AT THE END OF THE YEAR. WITHOUT A SIGNIFICANT NEW CANADIAN QUOTA FOR HONG KONG REFUGEE RESETTLEMENT
PROSPECTS IN 1981 WILL BE POOR.
4. GRATEFUL IF YOU WOULD ALSO CONSIDER THE POSSIBILITY OF
REPRESENTATIONS TO THE CANADIAN HIGH COMMISSION.
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