征
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that of illegal immigrants from China, with whom they have closer
family, cultural and ethnic ties. They are critical of the
financial and other resources allocated to Vietnamese refugees at
their expense.
(d)
8.
The closed camp
Government
policy is the only measure that the Hong Kong
have been able to implement to deter Vietnamese from
Although it by no means provides a
travelling to Hong Kong.
complete answer to the problem (refugees continue to arrive), and
has itself created new problems, the Hong Kong Government consider
that the advantages
of the policy decisively outweigh the
disadvantages and that this policy of deterrence must continue.
9.
Government Hong Kong
The Hong Kong Government believes that no lasting solution will
be found until the flow of refugees from Vietnam is stopped. Until
8 ome means is found to do this, the
continue to rely оп the understanding reached at the 1979
resettled internationally from
Conference that refugees should
countries of first asylum.
IV PROBLEMS OVER RESETTLEMENT
10.
be
THIS IS A COPY
must
Geneva
THE ORIGINAL HAS BEEN CLOSED FOR
40 YEARS UNDER FOI EXEMPTION NO.....27.......
Of the 58,543 Vietnamese who arrived in Hong Kong in the first
half of 1979, 84% were ethnic Chinese. They were considered by
resettlement countries to fall under the accepted definition of
"refugees"* through their persecution for reasons of race. After
1979 however the proportion of ethnic Chinese arriving in Hong Kong
dropped to 2-3%. Initially most of the ethnic Vietnamese arriving
in Hong Kong were from South Vietnam; they were readily accepted by Western countries as refugees, on grounds of political persecution.
Between 1980 and
1980 and 1983 however the proportion of Northerners steadily
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