DOGAGQ
CONFIDENTIAL
HKK 2432 4
UNHCR EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE (EXCOM): GENEVA 6-13 OCTOBER
BRIEF NO 6(h)
VIETNAMESE REFUGEES IN HONG KONG
Points to Make
Resettlement
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY
- 7 OCT 1986
FICEN
IND:
PA
1.
Hong Kong has
Kong has the largest number of Vietnamese boat people awaiting resettlement (8,500) of any place of first
asylum in
there 64% have been
South East
Asia.
over
3
years,
anywhere
a
much
higher
proportion
of
long stayers
than
else
in
resettlement
the region.
serious places:
It
is
difficult to
find
risk
situation that
of
refugees
in
Hong
Kong's camps
will
deteriorate
if
resettlement picture does not improve. UK has accepted nearly 20,000 Vietnamese refugees for resettlement, mostly from Hong Kong, including over 400 in the past year.
2.
in
refugees
by
Home
Just before the last ExCom HMG published a White Paper
response to report
Vietnamese on
Affairs Committee's Sub-Committee Immigration (SCORRI). White Paper reflected HMG's concern
about
on Race Relations
It
announced
and
our
Kong's refugee Hong Kong's refugee problems. for resettlement to accept agreement refugees who have relatives qualify for admission under have been resettled in UK, Kong; (remainder from camps elsewhere in South East Asia).
some 500 Vietnamese
in the UK but who would not
our normal criteria. Over 400 almost all from camps in Hong
3. We have encouraged other countries to respond to this initiative by themselves taking additional
numbers from
responded positively, Denmark, Finalnd,
Hong Kong.
Many
including
have countries
Australia, Belgium,
Canada,
France, Luxembourg,
the Netherlands, New Zealand,
and Sweden. We and Hong Kong are grateful to all
Norway
these
CONFIDENTIAL