CONFIDENTIAL
3.
we
To maximise the effect of our decision and Hong Kong's,
are pressing other resettlement countries tc take
additional refugees from Hong Kong. It is too early yet to
know how many will respond with concrete offers of
resettlement places; so far Australia (200 refugees), Canada
(50), Finland (70),
(70), the Netherlands (80) New Zealand (10)
and Sweden (100) have offered specific increases. The US,
which resettles more Indo-Chinese refugees than any other
country, is currently accepting refugees at an annual rate
of some 1,800, 200 more than the previous year's ceiling.
Several other countries (including Belgium, Denmark,
Luxembourg and Greece) are likely to respond favourably.
German Position
4.
FRG has accepted 2,400 Vietnamese refugees from
Hong Kong camps since 1975, more than any other European
country except the UK, but has taken only 14 since 1982
when the Federal and Länder Governments agreed
agreed to accept
only those Indo-Chinese refugees rescued at sea by German
ships, and those with close relatives in Germany. FRG has
resettled some 25,000 Indo-Chinese refugees since 1975
(compared with the UK's 19,000).
In 1985 FRG agreed
exceptionally to take 32 refugees from Hong Kong as part of an intake of 300 Indo-Chinese refugees with remoter family links with FRG, but only four have yet received permission
to resettle in FRG.
5.
In October 1985, the Auswaertiges Amt initially said. that they would press for the admission of all Vietnamese in Hong Kong with relatives in Germany (we believe there are now about 90), but said later that FRG could not admit any refugees from Hong Kong outside the criteria agreed with the
Länder. We understand that the Germans' problems over eg
Tamils and East Germans lead them to accord a low priority
to other refugees. We see little hope of the Germans
changing their minds without strong political pressure.
CONFIDENTIAL