CONFIDENTIAL
(i)
HMG's
(ii)
decision,
in
accept
accordance
with
for resettlement
recommendation, to
refugees who have relatives in the UK but
normally fall outside the Home
criteria for family reunion cases.
camp s in Hong Kong, but a few will
of first asylum in South East Asia);
that, depending
the on
resettlement countries
HMG
are
SCORRI' $
500
s ome
who would
Office's immigration
(Most of these are in
come from other places
willingness shown by
other
to respond to Hong Kong's needs,
consider
further accepting
limited
prepared to numbers from Hong Kong. The Hong Kong Government would similarly be prepared to absorb limited numbers into Hong Kong from the camps, but again this will depend on
other countries' response to
to the UK's initiative;
(iii) present circumstances do not make it possible to agree to SCORRI's recommendation that Hong Kong's closed camp
policy be ended. In HMG's view, abolition of the policy
would
Hong
4.
cause
a
rise in
the
number
sharp
of arrivals in
Kong, and consequently an unacceptable and unmanageable rise in the camp population in Hong Kong.
Immediately after the White Paper is published,
a
major
diplomatic
we
shall
be
other
launching
to campaign
persuade
countries to accept additional number of refugees
from
Hong Kong. We shall be approaching a wide range of countries: both those which already accept refugees from Hong Kong on a regular basis (the US, Australia and Canada) and those which have accepted them only sporadically in the past.
5.
considerable
Mr Ridley
important that
publication.
as
"
Publication of the White Paper is likely to
media interest in
The Hong Kong.
_ouncil have already been informed of its contents.
members of
have the Legislative Council
and may not,
for details
cause
Executive
However
press
media may
representatives.
It is
contents
should not be divulged in advance of