- 2

As regards the points raised in para 3 of your letter, it is correct that under Section 13(A)6(a) of the Immigration Ordinance a Vietnamese refugee will breach his condition of landing if he refuses a resettlement offer. In such a case the Director of Immigration may issue a warrant authorising his detention in a closed centre for any period of time. However, these powers have not been called upon for any of the UK resettlement cases. However, you may wish to learn that the three major resettlement countries (the United States, Canada and Australia) have informed us that they would be unwilling to consider any refugee who refuses resettlement in the United Kingdom. However, that is a matter for those countries and is completely outside the control of the Hong Kong Government. You may wish to be aware that since there are many more refugees than resettlement places, no refugees have refused resettlement in the United Kingdom since the present exercise began in November 1985.

The names appearing on all United Kingdom visas are the names reported to the UNHCR and Immigration Department by the refugees themselves. We do not understand your reference to "number one child" or "number two child". The Hong Kong Government does not name Vietnamese refugees for its own purposes. It may well be that some refugees decide to change their names after arriving in the United Kingdom.

We are grateful for the interest and assistance which

You can be the British Refugee Council has undertaken. assured that the Hong Kong Government is ready to help in any way that it can to facilitate the smooth and steady resettlement of the United Kingdom reunion cases.

With best wishes!

Yours sincerely. Bei) і

BK B TANG

Assistant Commissioner/ Public Affairs

BKBT/sw

CC

Miss Elizabeth Hebden - Home Office

Mr David Barton FCO (HKD)

Share This Page