CONFIDENTIAL
537's fee. 243/5
ра
DISCUSSIONS WITH
4KK 243/5
RECEIVED IN AEGISTRY
76
LUCE'S VISIT TO GENEVA:
11-12 MARCH 1985:
MR
UNHCR
VIETNAMESE REFUGEES IN HONG KONG
1 1 MAR 1985
OF
Y
PA
in
802
POINTS TO MAKE
General
Greatly appreciate UNHCR's work on behalf of Vietnamese refugees. in Hong Kong. Admirable record of providing for refugees in camps and resettling them.
1.
2.
Most concerned about Hong Kong's refugee problem. Camp population is not significantly reducing, despite lower arrival rate, because resettlement level now so low. Closed camp policy has
helped reduce arrivals, but can only be a partial solution. Fear
that unless ways can be found to ameliorate situation, there is likely to be serious trouble in the camps.
Admission of Vietnamese to UK
3. Aware of view
of view that a UK lead in accepting more refugees from
Hong Kong might encourage other countries to increase their offtake. Do you agree with this? As you may know, Select Committee on Race
Relations and Immigration is currently looking at this. But must
emphasise difficulties: high unemployment and integration
difficulties of Vietnamese in UK.
4.6
Repatriation (only with Hartling). Now very concerned that
situation in camps in Hong Kong is likely to deteriorate i f
something is not done to lessen numbers rapidly. Increasing offtake
would help, but won't solve problem and very doubtful if it can be
sustained if arrivals continue at present rate. Our own projections suggest that camp population will start to increase again before long. Believe serious problems in the camps only a matter of time.
5.
Conclusion is that we need to look seriously at ways of reducing
arrival rate as well as increasing offtake rate. Very concerned
that a large proportion of arrivals do not now fit normal refugee
definitions, and seem to be economic migrants.
Resettlement
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