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YEARS.
THEY REGARD THEM INSTEAD AS 'ECONOMIC MIGRANTS' WHO ARE
SIMPLY IN SEARCH OF A BETTER FUTURE. SURVEYS CONDUCTED BY THE
HONG KONG IMMIGRATION DEPARTMENT HAVE INDEED SHOWN THAT 54
PERCENT OF NEW ARRIVALS SINCE EARLY 1983 HAVE LEFT VIETNAM FOR
ECONOMIC REASONS, WHEREAS ONLY 26 PERCENT HAVE DONE SO FOR
POLITICAL REASONS. (THE REMAINING 20 PERCENT HAVE LEFT FOR OTHER
REASONS, EG TO SEEK FAMILY REUNION). HOWEVER, WHATEVER THE
INITIAL REASON FOR DEPARTURE, AS LONG AS THE VIETNAMESE REFUSE TO
TAKE THEM BACK, THERE IS LITTLE OPTION IN PRACTICE BUT TO
CONTINUE TO TREAT 'ECONOMIC MIGRANTS' AS REFUGEES, WHICH IS
CONSISTENT WITH THE UNDERSTANDING REACHED DURING THE 1979 GENEVA
CONFERENCE, EVEN THOUGH THEY MAY BE SUBJECT TO NEITHER ETHNIC NOR
POLITICAL PERSECUTION.
10. RESETTLEMENT QUOTAS FOR ALL INDO-CHINESE REFUGEES HAVE
DECLINED IN RECENT YEARS. HONG KONG HAS BEEN PARTICULARLY
AFFECTED BY THIS DECLINE. REASONS FOR THE DECLINE APPEAR TO
INCLUDE:
(A) 'COMPASSION FATIGUE'
NEARLY 10 YEARS AFTER THE FALL OF SAIGON, THE INDO-CHINESE
REFUGEE PROBLEM IS PERCEIVED AS LESS PRESSING THAN IT WAS AND HAS
BEEN OVERTAKEN BY OTHER REFUGEE CRISES, EG IRAN, AFGHANISTAN,
ETHIOPIA.
(B) DOMESTIC CONSIDERATIONS OF RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES
AND
MANY RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES ARE RELUCTANT TO ACCEPT LARGE QUOTAS
OF REFUGEES BECAUSE THEY ALREADY FACE HIGH UNEMPLOYMENT, AND ARE
CONCERNED ABOUT THE STRAIN THAT LARGE NUMBERS OF UNEMPLOYED
REFUGEES MIGHT PLACE ON WELFARE SERVICES. THE UK HAS HAD ONE OF
THE LEAST SATISFACTORY EXPERIENCES IN THIS RESPECT: 80 PERCENT OF
THE ADULT VIETNAMESE RESETTLED HERE ARE UNEMPLOYED.
(C) RELUCTANCE TO ACCEPT 'NON-REFUGEES'
THE AMERICANS IN PARTICULAR SUPPORT THE VIEW THAT THE MAJORITY OF
THE REFUGEES NOW ARRIVING IN HONG KONG ARE ECONOMIC MIGRANTS.
SINCE MID-1982 ABOUT 50 PERCENT OF THOSE SELECTED BY THE US
CONSULATE IN HONG KONG AS ELIGIBLE FOR ADMISSION UNDER THE US
REFUGEE PROGRAMME HAVE SUBSEQUENTLY BEEN REJECTED BY THE
IMMIGRATION AND NATURALISATION SERVICE (INS) ON THE GROUNDS THAT
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