BACKGROUND
CONFIDENTIAL
it
1. Hong Kong government officials were reported last night to have said that they would have to consider repatriation of Vietnamese refugees unless more countries came forward with offers of places. would not be done, they said, without the full cooperation of the Vietname authorities who had already indicated they were ready to discuss it.
1
2. Hong Kong authorities have never publicly ruled out repatriation partly to help discourage boat people, and partly to keep the option open in case numbers built up there dramatically.
3. Despite the policy of keeping new arrivals in closed camps from 2 July last year, numbers reaching Hong Kong remained steady at 7,800 (although down by 40% in the region as a whole). At the same time deaprtures (though over the year they matched arrivals) declined sharply towards the end particularly because of new, stricter American criteria. Hong Kong now has 13,000 cases remaining, of whom nearly 5,000 have been there for two years or more, and they are afraid of being left with an increasing number on their hands.
4. The UK quota of 10,000 opened in 1979 has now been filled and in present circumstances we do not expect to be able to open another. We have taken some relatives, and ship rescue cases may continue to come over, but our contributionis now likely to remain very small.
5.
Forcible repatriation can not be considered so long as UNHCR continues to regard boat people as refugees and Vietnam's image and behaviour remain so bad. (Though they may in due course reject some as 'economic migrants' which some of them undoubtedly are.) Small numbers of voluntary returns could be encouraged but would need the cooperation of UNHCR officials in Hong Kong and Hanoi and assurances from the Vietnamese about safe rehabilitation. We plan to begin discussing this in Hanoi soon.
6. Hong Kong officials carefully avoid specifying voluntary or involuntary repatriation.
We should not deny to Hong Kong the deterrent effect of keeping the option open. But involuntary repatriation Bristles with difficulties which are likely to prove insuperable,
CONFIDENTIAL