ANNEX B
EXTRACT FROM FCO MEMORANDUM TO SCORRI
NUMBER
ON WHETHER THE EFFECT OF ADMITTING TO BRITAIN EVEN A SMALL
OF VIETNAMESE FROM THE CAMPS IN HONG KONG WOULD BE TO ENCOURAGE
OTHER COUNTRIES TO TAKE LARGER NUMBERS FROM THOSE CAMPS
1.
There is the following evidence that the lack of a further UK
resettlement of Vietnamese refugees from Hong Kong
pretext for other governments to direct their main
quota for
provides a
resettlement
effort towards those places of first asylum where their
Own direct political interests are greater.
a)
Comparative resettlement
statistics
a wide disparity between
from Hong Kong and
and the
to
The following table shows that there is
number of Vietnamese refugees resettled
number resettled from other places of first asylum, in proportion their total refugee populations:
HONG KONG
MALAYSIA
INDONESIA
THAILAND
PHILIPPINES
SINGAPORE
POPULATION OF VIETNAMESE
REFUGEES AWAITING RESETTLEMENT
ON 1 JANUARY 1984
DEPARTURES TO COUNTRIES
OF RESETTLEMENT
JAN-AUG 1984
12,770
10,077
6,036
8.057
2,236
286
1,940
7,165
4,475
4.646
1.455
422
It is clear from these figures that Hong Kong comes low on the list
of priorities of the main resettlement countries.
b)
Statements by officials of resettlement
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
countries and
of
the
Australia
i)
to
An Australian Department of Immigration and Ethnic Affairs
official told the Hong Kong representative the 1983 Executive
Committee meeting of the UNHCR that the Australians would not raise their quota of refugees from Hong Kong until HMG took more,
and
/advised