CONFIDENTIAL
18608
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(IV)
(V)
(VI)
(VII)
HE SAID THAT DESPITE PROPOSALS FOR LOCAL INTEGRATION AND REPATRIATION, JAPAN EXPECTS TO CONTINUE TO BE PRESSED BY ASEAN AND THAILAND IN PARTICULAR. HE EXPLAINED THAT
FOLLOWING THE ANNOUNCEMENT THAT JAPAN WOULD INCREASE ITS INTAKE TO 10,000, HIS DIVISION WAS CARRYING OUT A CAREFUL STUDY OF THE CASELOADS IN THE VARIOUS PLACES IN THE
REGION. ON THE BASIS OF THIS EVALUATION, JAPAN WOULD
DECIDE ON QUOTAS. HARIMURA SAID THAT HE WOULD CONSIDER
HONG KONG'S POSITION SYMPATHETICALLY WHEN HE RETURNED TO
TOKYO.
HE ASKED WHY HMG AND HKG WERE LAUNCHING THIS INITIATIVE
NOW.
HE SAID THAT JAPAN HAD BEEN UNAWARE OF HONG KONG'S
PROBLEMS AND WHAT HAD BROUGHT THEM SUDDENLY TO
PROMINENCE. I EXPLAINED THE BACKGROUND TO SCORRI AND THE
WHITE PAPER BUT SAID THAT HONG KONG HAS HAD A REFUGEE
PROBLEM FOR MANY YEARS. HE ALSO ASKED ABOUT THE REACTION
FROM OTHER COUNTRIES, WHICH I SAID HAD BEEN POSITIVE AND IN TWO INSTANCES (UNNAMED) SPECIFIC. HE WAS CONCERNED THAT HONG KONG'S REFUGEES MIGHT NOT WANT TO RESETTLE IN
JAPAN. I REMINDED HIM THAT THE PREVIOUS JAPANESE
MISSIONS TO JAPAN HAD BEEN OVERSUBSCRIBED.
I ASKED ABOUT THE PERIOD OVER WHICH THE 10,000 WOULD BE TAKEN. HE SAID THAT IT WAS NOT SPECIFIED, BUT HE THOUGHT THAT IT WOULD BE TAKEN UP WITHIN TWO YEARS. HE SAID THAT
THAILAND WOULD BE JAPAN'S TOP PRIORITY BUT HONG KONG
WOULD BE NUMBER TWO (WE TRY HARDER).
I ASKED ABOUT THE 25 REFUGEES ACCEPTED BY THE JAPANESE MISSION IN MARCH, BUT WHO STILL WERE IN HONG KONG. HARIMURA SAID THAT THE MINISTRY OF JUSTICE WAS SITTING ON
THESE CASES AND HE WOULD TRY TO PUSH THEM ON HIS RETURN
TO TOKYO.
HE SAID THAT ANOTHER MISSION WOULD VISIT HONG KONG EARLY
NEXT YEAR AND IT WOULD LOOK AT LONG STAYERS AND FAMILY
REUNION CASES. I SAID THAT WE HAD 23 REFUGEES WITH CLOSE
FAMILY RELATIVES IN JAPAN. HE AGREED TO CONSIDER THESE
CASES.
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CONFIDENTIAL