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HKG myporah 1 Jan 84
CONFIDENTIAL
DSR 11C
under international law. It is standard international
practice to return involuntarily individuals who do not
satisfy a country's immigration criteria to the place
they came from (though this does not necessarily mean
repatriation). The Hong Kong Government has, since 1980,
operated a policy of returning all Chinese illegal
immigrants entering Hong Kong from China. The Hong Kong
Government has indicated its wish that involuntary
> repatriation of its Vietnamese refugees be discussed as
possible solution. HMG concluded in May 1985 that this
suggestion was politically unacceptable and not to be
discussed bilaterally with Vietnam.
No detailed
proposals have yet emerged from recent discussions, but
the subject is likely to be reexamined.
a
9. In the case of the Indochinese refugees, the
advantages of instituting a system of repatriation would
be that:
(i) it would raise the level of deterrence against
those contemplating irregular departure from their
country of origin if it were clear that there was a
high probability that those who could not claim to
be geniune refugees would be returned;
(ii) it would break the general assumption of the
authorities in countries of origin and countries of
first refuge that the existing resettlement
countries will ultimately accept responsibility for
resettling all outflows;
CONFIDENTIAL