GPS 300
RESTRICTED
FM HONG KONG
TO PRIORITY WASHINGTON
TEL:0 38
RESTRICTED TOP COPY
OF 19084OZ DECEMBER 85
INFO PRIORITY FCO, UKMIS GENEVA, NEW YORK
477)
FCO'S TELNO 1979: VIETNAMESE REFUGEES: US POLICY
HKK 243/2
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY
20 DEC 1985
DESK OFFICER
INDEX
PA
YOU MAY WISH TO ADD TO TUP THAT THE PROPOPTION OF VIETNAMESE REFUGEES FROM HONG KONG OUT OF THE TOTAL US VIETNAMESE REFUGEE
INTAKE HAS BEEN DECLINING DRAMATICALLY. IN 1981, 14.5 PER CENT OF THE US INTAKE OF VIETNAMESE REFUGEES CAME FROM HONG KONG SEMICOLOM
IN 1982 THE FIGURE WAS 17.5 PER CENT SEMICOLON IN 1983 IT HAD REDUCED TO 6.7 PER CENT SEMICOLON LAST YEAR IT HAD REDUCED FURTHER TO 3.8 PER CENT.
DECKSTRY
| Actin 'Taken
2. NOT ONLY IS HONG KONG NOT (NOT) GETTING A FAIR DEAL FROM RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES, BUT IT IS RECEIVING LESS PRIORITY FROM THE US.
3. EFFORTS BY THE US IN PARTICULAR TO REDUCE OUR OPEN CENTRE REFUGEE POPULATION HAVE BEEN CONSIDERABLE AND ARE VERY MUCH APPRECIATED. BUT THESE EFFORTS ARE WITHIN THE US QUOTA. THERE HAS DEEN NO (NO) INDICATION OF ANY INCREASE IN RESPONSE TO HNG'S INITIATIVE, DESPITE THE POSITIVE RESPONSE FROM AUSTRALIA, CANADA, FINLAND, NORWAY AND NEW ZEALAND AND THE STRONG INDICATIONS FROM DENMARK, SWEDEN AND THE NETHERLANDS.
4. YOU MAY BE AWARE THAT EARLIER THIS YEAR THE US ALLOCATED TO HONG KONG 'UNUSED RESETTLEMENT PLACES FROM ELSEWHERE IN THE REGION. WE THINK THAT THIS MIGHT HAVE BEEN IN RESPONSE TO APPEALS WHICH WE HAD MADE. WHEN WOODHOUSE WAS IN WASHINGTON HE CLARIFIED WITH PUPCELL THAT THIS PRINCIPLE COULD BE REPEATED. WE UNDERSTAND THAT THAILAND, MALAYSIA AND INDONESIA ARE HAVING DIFFICULTY MEETING THEIR US RESETTLEMENT TARGETS. COULD THIS BE RE-DIRECTED TO HONG KONG? THIS WOULD MEAN NO (NO) INCREASE IN THE OVERALL INTAKE TO THE US
AND NO (NO) CHANGE IN THE ETHNIC COMPOSITION OF THE PEFUGEES.
5. WE HOPE TO BE IN A POSITION TO SAY SOMETHING POSITIVE ABOUT THE RASRO TRANSIT CENTRE (IN WHICH THE US HAS A CONSIDERABLE INTEREST)
IN JANUARY.
THIS TELEGRAM WAS NOT
ADVANCED
YOUDE
LIMITED
MKD SEAD
WND
NAD
PST BR RENTON
SIR WHARDING
MR WILSON
PS) PUS.
RESTRICTED
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