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FM HONG KONG 180129Z JUN 82,
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELEGRAM NUMBER 608 OF 10 JUNE
DESK OFFICER
INDEX
INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG GOVT OFFICE LONDON, UKMIS GENEVA,
WASHINGTON, HANOI.
MYTELNO 492.
VIETNAMESE REFUGEES
ISTRY
Tab
IS
See
(1047)
CLOSED CAMPS.
THE STUDY ON THE FEASIBILITY OF SETTING UP CLOSED CAMPS FOLLOWING
EXECUTIVE COUNCIL'S ADVICE ON XCC(82)54 (A COPY OF WHICH WAS SENT TO YOU) IS NOW COMPLETE. WE SHALL BE REPORTING TO EXECUTIVE
COUNCIL ON 15 JUNE.
2. THE STUDY SHOWS THAT CLOSED CAMPS ARE FEASIBLE, ALBEIT AT A FAIRLY SUBSTANTIAL FINANCIAL COST. WE ARE PROPOSING THAT ONLY
NEW ARRIVALS AFTER THE ENACTMENT OF LEGISLATION SHOULD BE DETAINED
AND THAT UNHCR SHOULD HAVE ACCESS TO THE REFUGEES ON A REGULATED
BASIS.
3. UNOFFICIALS HAVE REPORTED THAT THEY ARE UNDER PRESSURE FROM THEIR CONSTITUENTS ON THE INJUSTICE OF RETURNING FELLOW CHINESE ILLEGALS WHILE ALLOWING VIETNAMESE TO REMAIN IN OPEN CAMPS AND WORK:
AND THEY FEAR THAT THE NUMBERS OF HARD CORE' VIETNAMESE WHO HAVE
COME PRIMARILTY FOR ECONOMIC REASONS, STAYING IN HONG KONG WILL INCREASE IF NO DETERRENT MEASURES ARE TAKEN TO OFFSET THE SUBSTANTIAL REDUCTION IN THE OFF TAKE FROM HONG KONG. IF EXECUTIVE COUNCIL ADVISES THAT WE SHOULD GO AHEAD WE WOULD SO INFORM UMELCO AND SEEK THEIR CONCURRENCE TO THE ENACTMENT OF THE NECESSARY AMENDMENTS TO THE IMMIGRATION ORDINANCE THROUGH THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL IN ONE SITTING ON 30 JUNE. THE NEW POLICY WOULD THEN BE INTRODUCED WITH EFFECT FROM 1 JULY. THE REASON WHY IT IS DESIRABLE
TO PROCEED IN THIS WAY IS THAT, IF WE FOLLOWED THE NORMAL SEQUENCE, THERE WOULD BE A DELAY OF AT LEAST A FORTNIGHT BEFORE THE BILL WAS ENACTED. THIS WOULD MEAN THAT WE WOULD BE HALF WAY THROUGH JULY (WHICH ON PAST EXPERIENCE IS A MONTH WHEN ARRIVALS ARE HIGHER THAN AVERAGE) AND THE SOONER WE INTRODUCE THE DETERRENT THE BETTER. MOREOVER, EXPERIENCE HERE IN DEALING WITH IMMIGRATION ISSUES OF THIS SORT IS THAT IT IS BEST TO ACT WITH DESPATCH.
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