IDENT I A L SECTION 22 OF 3 HONG KONG 22028
UK STARTS RESETTLING HONG KONG REFUGEES.
HMG HAS BEGUN TO TAKE REFUGEES FROM HONG KONG. A FIRST GROUP OF TWENTY LOCAL REFUGEES DEPARTED FOR THE UK ON NOVEMBER 20, 1985. ANOTHER FIFTEEN ARE SCHEDULED TO LEAVE BY THE END OF DECEMBER. UPON THE HKG ́S REQUEST, HMG HAS THEREFORE OPTED FOR A SLOW BUT STEADY DRAW FROM THE CCLONY, RATHER THAN THE ONE TIME RESETTLEMENT OF SEVERAL HUNDRED PERSONS. ONE REASON FOR THIS SLOW DRAW IS TO AVOID ATTRACTING A NEW INFLUX OF VIETNAMESE RIFUGEES. THE HKG TELLS US THAT IN 1986, UP TO FORTY REFUGEES WILL LEAVE HONG KONG FOR THE UK EACH MONTH.
VREF
OTHER RESPONSES TO THE UK/HONG KONG INITIATIVE.
8. IN RESPONSE TO EMG ́S REQUEST, SEVERAL COUNTRIES HAVE ANNOUNCED INCREASES IN THEIR OFFTAKE FROM HONG KONG. AUSTRALIA WILL INCREASE ITS LOCAL OFFTAKE IN FY 86 FROM 400 TC 600, AND POSSIBLY EVEN 800 REFUGEES, WHILE NEW ZEALAND HAS PLEDGED TO SETTLE TEN ADDITIONAL HONG KONG REFUGEES. THE COLONY ITSELF HAS STATED IT WILL RESETTLE A YET UNDISCLOSED NUMBER OF ETHNIC CHINESE REFUGEES. IN ADDITION, NORWEGIAN OFFICIALS IN HONG KONG TELL US THAT THEIR GOVERNMENT IS PRESENTLY CONSIDERING TAKING ONE HUNDRED REFUGEES FROM THE REGION -- A NUMBER OF THEM FROM BONG KONG. HKG PRINCIPAL ASSISTANT SECRETARY (SECURITY) KENNETH WOODHOUSE SAYS PRIVATELY THAT FINLAND IS WILLING TO TAKE UP TO A HUNDRED HONG KONG REFUGEES. THE HKG IS HOPEFUL DENMARK AND THE NETHERLANDS WILL TOGETHER TAKE ANOTHER HUNDRED, AND THAT JAPAN WILL ALSO RESETTLE SOME LOCAL BOAT PEOPLE.
9. ON THE OTHER HAND, WOODHOUSE DESCRIBES THE REACTION OF MOST OTHER RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES AS LUKEWARM AT BEST. OFFICIALS FROM THE LOCAL GERMAN, BELGIAN, AND SWEDISH CONSULATES INDICATE THAT THEIR GOVERNMENTS RESFONDED NEGATIVELY TO THE UK/HONG KONG INITIATIVE, WHILE LOCAL CANADIAN REFUGEE OFFICIALS PRIVATELY EXPRESS SKEPTICISM ABOUT THE SCHEME. IN SUMMARY, THE UK/HONG KCNG INITIATIVE HAS SO FAR PRODUCED A MODEST INCREASE IN THE NUMBER CF HONG KONG REFUGEES THE RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES WILL TAKE DURING THE COMING YEAR. MOREOVER, THE INITIATIVE MAY GAIN HONG KONG A FEW HUNDRED EXTRA RESETTLEMENT PLACES YET.
LIMITS TO THE U.S. RESPONSE.
10. REFTEL E STATES THAT THIS YEAR THE DEPARTMENT IS CCNSIDERING TAKING THE SAME NUMBER OF HONG KONG REFUGEES AS IN FY 85, I.E., ABOUT 1,600. POST WISHES TO EMPHASIZE THE POINT MADE IN PARAS 5 AND E OF REFTEL E. NAMELY THAT THE POOL OF VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE IN HONG KONG WHO CAN QUALIFY FOR THE U.S. REFUGEE PROGRAM IS FAST DECREASING. AT PRESENT WE ANTICIPATE THE NUMBER OF INS-AFPROVABIE REFUGEES IN HONG KONG DURING FY 86 WILL NOT EXCEED 1,700. THIS SHORTAGE OF ELIGIBLE REFUGEES WOULD THUS MAKE IT DIFFICULT FOR US SIGNIFICANTLY TO
CONFIDENTIAL
HONGKONG 022028/02