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THE REFUGEES BEING RESETTLED WILL BE DRAWN FROM THE LONGEST
STAYERS (OVER 6 YEARS) IN THE HONG KONG CAMPS, AND WILL THUS BE
AMONG THOSE WHO HAVE PROVED HARDEST TO RESETTLE ELSEWHERE. THIS
IS A VERY HELPFUL CONTRIBUTION BY HONG KONG TO RESOLVING THE
PROBLEM OF 'HARD TO RESETTLE' REFUGEES IN THE REGION. YOU SHOULD
ALSO POINT OUT THAT NO PUBLICITY WILL BE INITIATED BY HKG
(ALTHOUGH IT WILL OF COURSE BECOME PUBLIC) IN AN EFFORT TO REDUCE
THE RISK OF DRAWING MORE REFUGEES OUT OF VIETNAM TO HONG KONG.
3.
ON THE RASRO TRANSIT CENTRE YOU SHOULD SAY THAT HONG
KONG'S AGREEMENT TO ITS ESTABLISHMENT IN HONG KONG REPRESENTS AN
EFFORT TO EASE THE PROBLEMS FACED BY RASRO PARTICIPANTS IN
RESETTLING SHIP RESCUE CASES WITHIN THE 90-DAY DEADLINE. HONG
KONG HAS AGREED TO ESTABLISH THE CENTRE DESPITE THE FACT THAT BY
DOING SO IT WILL, OF COURSE, HAVE TO ACCOMMODATE MORE REFUGEES
THAN AT PRESENT.
4.
YOU SHOULD REITERATE OUR AND HONG KONG'S GRATITUDE TO
YOUR HOSTS FOR THEIR CONTRIBUTION SO FAR TOWARDS RESOLVING HONG
KONG'S REFUGEE PROBLEM. WE HOPE THAT HONG KONG'S DECISION TO
RESETTLE A SUBSTANTIAL ADDITIONAL NUMBER OF REFUGEES FROM THE
CAMPS WILL ENCOURAGE THEM TO GIVE FAVOURABLE CONSIDERATION TO INCREASING THEIR OFFTAKE FURTHER. YOU SHOULD ASK ABOUT THE STATE
OF PLAY OF YOUR HOSTS' CURRENT DELIBERATIONS ON RESETTLING
REFUGEES FROM THE HONG KONG CAMPS.
5.
(A)
(B)
(C)
THE FOLLOWING ARE DEFENSIVE POINTS:
ARRIVALS IN UK IN THE POST-SCORRI EXERCISE: 78 AS AT
END-JANUARY, THEREAFTER 40 MONTHLY EXPECTED.
POSSIBILITY OF FURTHER UK OFFTAKE: TOO EARLY TO SAY. HMG
WILL DECIDE WHETHER TO ACCEPT A FURTHER LIMITED NUMBER OF
VIETNAMESE REFUGEES FROM HONG KONG, IN ADDITION TO THE
FAMILY REUNION CASES, IN THE LIGHT OF THE RESPONSE BY
OTHER RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES TO HONG KONG'S NEEDS AND OF
ALL THE CIRCUMSTANCES AT THE TIME.
RECENT FALL IN POPULATION OF HONG KONG REFUGEE CAMPS:
ALTHOUGH THE NUMBER OF VIETNAMESE REFUGEES IN HONG KONG
FELL BY 2449 DURING 1985 WE AND HONG KONG REMAIN
SERIOUSLY CONCERNED ABOUT THE SIZE OF HONG KONG'S REFUGEE
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