VBIAFO.
CONFIDENTIAL
VIETNAMESE REFUGEES IN HONG KONG :
I
INTRODUCTION
POLICY PAPER
1. This paper surveys the problem of Vietnamese refugees in Hong
Kong, attempts to predict how it will develop if policy remains as
it is now, and set out possible options for improving the position.
II
2.
BACKGROUND
About 1.5 million people have left Indo-China since 1975, over a
million of these Vietnamese. Some 130,000, mainly Vietnamese, left
for the United States in 1975. Around 260,000 Vietnamese entered
China in 1978. Over half a million Vietnamese boat refugees have
arrived in first asylum countries including Hong Kong (we can only
speculate as to how many have perished en route). Since 1979 over
72,000 Vietnamese have left Vietnam under the Orderly Departure
Programme (ODP) administered by the UNHCR with Vietnamese Government
cooperation. Currently over 160,000 Indo-Chinese (some 40,000
Vietnamese) await resettlement. 104,000 Vietnamese have reached
Hong Kong; none have been turned away. All have been placed in
camps pending resettlement elsewhere. Hong Kong have also accepted
dis placed Indo-Chinese 14,000 for permanent settlement in Hong Kong Hong Kong's refugee
population has now remained steady at 12-13,000 for about two years.
This i s more than the numbers in any of the South East Asian
countries awaiting resettlement, eg Malaysia (8,000), Indonesia
(7,000), Philippines (2000).
3.
UK RESPONSE TO VIETNAMESE REFUGEE PROBLEM : 1979 GENEVA CONFERENCE
In January 1979, HMG agreed to admit 1,500 refugees from
Indo-China, in addition to
in addition to the 300 or so already here. It was
decided that, because of our responsibilities for the territory
1,000 of these should come from Hong Kong. In July 1979, at UK
initiative, a conference was held in Geneva to deal with the
worsening refugee crisis. At that conference, the UK agreed to take
a further quota of 10,000 Vietnamese refugees from Hong Kong. I t
was at this conference that the consensus emerged to confer group
refugee status on those leaving Indo-China by boat. The UK has so
far accepted around 19000 Vietnamese.
CONFIDENTIAL