CONFIDENTIAL
-
in
recommended
asking him to accept the 400 500 family reunion cases
by SCORRI, and in addition to give a continuing commitment to accept
a further 500 a year.
We await a reply. It seems likely that the
Home Secretary will agree to accept the family reunion cases, but
that he wili be reluctant to make any commitment
excess of this.
However small the number eventually accepted, we shall need to use
the gesture
to Hong Kong's maximum advantage by putting pressure on
other countries to match it with similar quotas.
UNHCR have
indicated that they would be willing to assist in this.
SCORRI RECOMMENDATION THAT CLOSED CAMPS BE ABOLISHED
5. Unlikely that we shall be able to implement this recommendation.
Policy appears to have succeeded in deterring refugees:
refugees: Hong Kong
arrival rate has decreased at considerably faster rate than that of
other S E Asian first asylum countries since introduction of policy.
Relaxation of policy would almost certainly lead to new influx of
refugees. Hong Kong public would strongly resent relaxation: they
disapprove of Vietnamese being given special treatment compared with
Chinese illegal immigrants, who are almost invariably repatriated to
China despite having close cultural and often family ties with Hong
Kong Chinese.
B
VISIT OF MR HARTLING TO LONDON
6. Mr Hartling visited London on 5 June for discussions with Mr
Luce and Mr Waddington (Minister of State, Home Office),
in the
light of
of the SCORRI recommendations
and his own recent visit to Hong
Kong.
He emphasised in particular the problem of resettling the
long-stayers (he referred particularly to refugees in open camps,
all of whom arrived before July 1982, and who are becoming
increasingly difficult to resettle). (Record of meeting attached.)
ROLE OF UNHCR IN HONG KONG
7.
them.
A s well as running the resettlement programme for refugees from
Hong Kong, UNHCR are responsible for administration of the open
camps, in consultation with voluntary agencies appointed by
They also help pay for the closed camps they currently contribute
on e third of the cash expenditure (the rest is paid by the Hong Kong
Government). The y are mainly responsible for funding educational
-
and
training
programmes
within
the
(both camps
open and
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closed).