GRS 750
UNCLASSIFIED
FM HONG KONG
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELNO 2606
OF 221105Z NOVEMBER 85
ра
INFO PRIORITY UKMIS GENEVA, HKGO BRUSSELS (JONES),
INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICEL LONDON,
SCORRI
Po Weller
Reperated to
INFO PRIORITY HKGO NEW YORK (DORWARD), HKGO WASHINGTON (LO), Oslo,
INFO PRIORITY GENEVA (CARTLAND).
VIETNAMESE REFUGEES: QUARTERLY UNHCR RESETTLEMENT MEETING.
ottawa
was ingten.
AT OUR INSISTANCE THE QUARTERLY UNHCR RESETTLEMENT MEETING WAS CONVENED ON 20 NOVEMBER. SOME OF THE UNHCR STAFF HAD SUGGESTED THAT
THESE MEETINGS SHOULD BE HELD LESS FREQUENTLY, BUT DEFERED TO OUR
PRESSURE FOR A MEETING.
2. THE MAJOR TOPIC ON THE AGENDA WAS THE REACTION TO THE APPEAL
WHICH WE MADE AT THE PREVIOUS MEETING IN JULY TO PESETTLE 100
REFUGEES EACH MONTH FROM THE TWO OPEN CENTRES SO AS TO ENABLE US
TO CLOSE JUBILEE AND CREATE ONE COMBINED OPEN CENTRE. WE EMPHASISED
THE FACT THAT THE FIRST 20 REFUGEES WERE LEAVING FOR UK THAT DAY, AND THEREAFTER, WOULD LEAVE AT THE RATE OF 40 EACH MONTH. WE POINTED OUT THAT THE MAJORITY OF THE UK FAMILY REUNION CASES CAME FROM THE
OPEN CENTRES.
3. WE ALSO EXPLAINED THAT THE DIPLOMATIC OFFENSIVE LAUNCHED BY BOTH HMG AND HKG AFTER THE DECISION BY HMG TO RELAX ITS FAMILY REUNION CRITERIA, WAS FOCUSSED IN PARTICULAR ON THOSE REFUGEES WHO HAD BEEN IN HONG KONG FOR SOME CONSIDERABLE TIME, IE: THE OPEN CENTRE REFUGEES
WE EXPLAINED, THEREFORE, THAT THIS DIPLOMATIC INITIATIVE SHOULD BE VIEWED AS PART OF THE CONTINUING PROCESS TO RESETTLE REFUGEES FROM HONG KONG AND, IN PARTICULAR, TO GIVE PRIORITY TO OPEN CENTRE
REFUGEES.
4. IN RESPONSE, THE AMERICAN REPRESENTATIVES POINTED OUT THAT THEY HAD RESPONDED FAVOURABLY BOTH TO THE HONG KONG APPEAL OF JULY AND
HMG'S DECISION OF SEPTEMBER. ACCORDINGLY, ALTHOUGH THEY HAD
AGREED TO TAKE ABOUT 25 REFUGEES EACH MONTH FROM THE OPEN CENTRES,
THEY EXPECTED TO RESETTLE 826 BY THE END OF MAY IE: MORE THAN TWICE
THEIR COMMITTMENT.
5. THE CANADIAN REPRESENTATIVE POINTED OUT THAT HE HAD JUST BEEN
INFORMED BY HIS GOVERMENT THAT THE CANADIAN OFFTAKE FOR HONG
Can.
KONG IN 1986 WOULD BE 650. THIS IS 50 MORE THAN THE CANADIAN OFFTAKE IN 1985 BUT SHOULD BE VIEWED IN ITS REGIONAL CONTEXT. (THE CANADIANS HAVE REDUCED THEIR REGIONAL OFFTAKE BY 500 AND, THEREFORE, HONG KONG APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN GIVEN SPECIAL CONSIDERATION). WE ARE HOPEFUL THAT THE CANADIANS, AS THEY HAVE DONE
IN THE PAST TWO YEARS, WILL ALLOCATE AN ADDITIONAL 500 PLACES TO
HON