G
RS 350
CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
FM OTTAWA 112010Z MAY 83.
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELEGRAM NUMBER 176 OF 11 MAY
INFO PRIORITY TO PARIS, CANBERRA, HONG KONG
HKCK 24311
RECEIVED IN MEĜISTRY
13 MAY 1983
DESK ORRIGER INDEX
PA
A
REGISTRY
Action Taken
AF 131
(52
See
(42
Unhelpful but realistre.
PA. 414243/1
1
WASHINGTON, HANOI,
UKMIS GENEVA
42
VIETNAMESE REFUGEES
YOUR TELNO 125:
SUMMARY
1.
(1) THE CANADIANS ARE SYMPATHETIC ON HONG KONG'S PROBLEMS, UNLIKELY TO BE ABLE TO INCREASE GOVERNMENT RPT GOVERNMENT QUOTA
SIGNIFICANTLY.
(11) THEY DO NOT FAVOUR A JOINT APPROACH TO VIETNAMSES ON ORDERLY DEPARTURE PROGRAMME (ODP).
DETAIL
A. HONG KONG
BUT
2. THE CANADIANS HAVE TAKEN NOTE OF HONG KONG'S DIFFICULTIES, AND WILL CONTINUE TO DO THEIR BEST TO HELP. LAST YEAR THEY TOOK SOME 6 TO 700 FROM HONG KONG (GOVERNMENT AND PRIVATE). THERE IS NO LIMIT ON FAMILY SPONSORED PLACES. BUT GOVERNMENT QUOTA FOR SOUTH EAST ASIA WAS REDUCED LAST YEAR FROM 4000 TO 3000 BECAUSE OF NEED TO HELP REFUGEES FROM CENTRAL AMERICA. THIS QUOTA IS MAINLY USED TO HELP RELIEVE MASSIVE (NON-VIETNAMESE) PRESSURES IN E.G. THAILAND.
B. ODP
3. THE CANADIANS HAVE GIVEN RAPID BUT CAREFUL CONSIDERATION TO OUR SUGGESTION, BUT DO NOT THINK THERE IS MUCH TO BE GAINED AT PRESENT FROM A JOINT APPROACH TO VIETNAMESE ON THE ODP. THEY ARE SATISFIED THAT THE VIETNAMESE ARE BEING COOPERATIVE AND DOING THE IR BEST, AND THAT THE VIETNAMESE BUREAUCRATIC MACHINERY IS WORKING CLOSE TO ITS MAXIMUM PROCESSING CAPACITY. THEY DOUBT WHETHER A JOINT APPROACH WOULD INCREASE THE FLOW. BUT THEY MONITOR THE SITUATION CONTINUALLY, AND WILL KEEP THE SUGGESTION IN MIND.
4. THE CANADIANS HAVE BUILT UP THEIR FAMILY REUNIFICATION PROGRAMME UNDER THE ODP FROM ZERO TO THE CURRENT RATE OF 3000 VISAS PER ANNUM IN 4 YEARS, LARGELY THROUGH BILATERAL PRESSURE ON THE VIETNAMESE. ALTHOUGH THERE IS A VERY CONSIDERABLE BACKLOG THEY REGARD THE PROGRESS THEY HAVE MADE SO FAR AS PRETTY SATISFACTORY.
CONFIDENTIAL
/5. THEY