DSR 11C
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Hong Kong has
I think the UNHCR will support them.
accepted the responsibilities of a country of first asylum:
they should not also be expected to start to resettle
people there. Since 1979 they have as a matter of public
policy deliberately maintained the distinction between
first asylum and resettlement.
If they abandoned the
policy now they would have serious difficulty with Hong Kong
public opinion, it would exacerbate the pressure from
refugees resettled in China to come on to Hong Kong, and it
would dilute the impact of the new closed camp system
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which is designed to reduce the attractions of Hong Kong for
for navigators of boat-people-bore: all this at a time
when because of seasonal factors coming on top of Hong Kong's
popularity and the recent decline in resettlement places,
actualles
the refugee population of Hong Kong is going up again. I
B think that, Hong Kong government is seriously worried that
at the end of the day they will come under strong pressure
in Hong Kong to settle their residue of (several thousand) unallocated
refugees; and if they were now to start settling those
rescued from Hong Kong-registered ships, it would weaken
their position and bring on the pressures they most fear.
6. We could in theory go straight back to Hong Kong and
continue to
薯
ask them to keep the 27 from the Poyang (they have only
had them for just over a year) and to allow the 15 from
the Hupe (as they said they would two years ago) to come
to a UNHCR camp in Hong Kong 'to continue to pursue their
resettlement opportunities'. But I think this would be
disingenuous the residual candidates quite obviously do
On the other hand, not have any resettlement opportunities. this may
be an opportunity to make a useful contribution to
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