see
256
GRS 650
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
CONFIDENTIAL
Mick 243/2
REFOP COP
16 OCT 1985
DESK OFFICER
295
PA
REGISTRY
Action Taken
TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE GENEVA
TELNO 16
INDEX
OF 160807Z OCTOBER 85
INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON, FCO, CANBERRA, INFO PRIORITY HKGO BRUSSELS, HKGO WASHINGTON, HKGO NEW YORK, INFO PRIORITY UKMIS GENEVA.
FOR WOODHOUSE FROM JEAFFRESON.
VIETNAMESE REFUGEES IN HONG KONG: DISCUSSIONS WITH AUSTRALIANS.
WE MET, ON 10 OCTOBER, MR. HURFORT, THE AUSTRALIAN MINISTER
FOR IMMIGRATION AND ETHNIC AFFAIRS, WHO WAS VISITING HONG KONG
DURING 10 11 OCTOBER AND DISCUSSED WITH HIM OUR VIETNAMESE
REFUGEE PROBLEM. WE THANKED THE AUSTRALIANS FOR THEIR EFFORTS IN
ACCEPTING REFUGEES FROM HONG KONG ON REGULAR BASIS AND EXPLAINED THAT
HONG KONG STILL HAD TO FACE A DIFFICULT SITUATION WITH THE HIGHEST
POPULATION OF BOAT REFUGEE AS WELL AS THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF
LONG-STAYERS IN THE SOUTH EAST ASIAN REGION. WE ALSO EXPLAINED
OUR JOINT CAMPAIGN WITH HMG AND UNHCR TO STIMULATE INTERNATIONAL
EFFORT TO HELP HONG KONG REDUCE ITS REFUGEE POPULATION BY
RESETTLING MORE FROM OUR CENTRES. WE SAID WE PARTICULARLY WOULD
LIKE THE AUSTRALIANS TO BROADEN THEIR CRITERIA SO THAT THEY COULD
TAKE SOME OF OUR REFUGEES WHO HAVE BEEN HERE SOME YEARS.
2. MR HURFORT REPLIED THAT THE AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT HAD ALWAYS BEEN
SYMPATHETIC TOWARDS THE VIETNAMESE REFUGEE PROBLEM IN HONG KONG
AND IN THE REGION AS A WHOLE AND HAD A GOOD RECORD FOR
RESETTLING REFUGEES FROM THE REGION. FOR HUMANITARIAN AND COMPASSIONATE REASONS, THE AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT WOULD BE POSITIVE IN ITS RESPONSE TO THE CURRENT INITIATIVE BY HMG AND THE APPEAL FROM THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT. HE EXPLAINED THAT THE RECENT
REDUCTION IN OFFTAKE FROM HONG KONG FROM 50 TO 40 A MONTH WAS MAINLY DUE TO THE REDUCTION IN THE NUMBER OF AVAILABLE CANDIDATES
UNDER THE PRIORITY 1 (FAMILY REUNION) AND PRIORITY 2 (CLOSE TIES WITH AUSTRALIA) CATEGORIES WHICH COMPRISED THE BULK OF THE CASES
RESETTLED TO AUSTRALIA FROM HONG KONG.
3. HE ALSO POINTED OUT THAT THE REDUCTION OF THE AUSTRALIAN
CEILING OF REFUGEE INTAKE FROM 8,000 TO 6,000 THIS YEAR (1985
1986) DID NOT MEAN THAT THERE WAS NO WAY OF INCREASING THE OFFTAKE.
FROM HONG KONG. THERE WAS CERTAIN FLEXIBILITY FOR REALLOCATING
RESETTLEMENT PLACES FOR COUNTRIES OF FIRST ASYLUM WITHIN THIS
CEILING FIGURE. IN HIS VIEW, THERE WAS A HIGH POSSIBILITY THAT
HONG KONG'S APPEAL FOR ADDITIONAL RESETTLEMENT PLACES WOULD BE
CONSIDERED FAVOURABLY. IN THIS CONNECTION, MR. HURFORT SEEMED TO BE
INTERESTED IN UTILIZING THEIR PRIORITY 3 CATEGORY FOR ACCEPTING
ADDITIONAL REFUGEES FROM HONG KONG. PRIORITY 3 CATEGORY COVERS
CONFIDENTIAL
PERSON.
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