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CONFIDENTIAL
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(b) to increase the rate of departures by:
(i) voluntary repatriation to Vietnam;
(ii) absorption in Hong Kong;
(iii) integration in the region;
(iv) increased resettlement.
resettlement
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Mr Galsworthy
The submission concluded that only two of these options involuntary repatriation and increased
offered any real prospect of success.
therefore recommended that we explore with the Vietnamese
the possibilities of repatriation, and also seek Home
Office agreement to a continuing UK offtake of refugees
from Hong Kong.
Repatriation
repatriation.
*
15. The Secretary of State concluded that we should not
pursue bilateral discussions with the Vietnamese on
He felt that Parliamentary and public opinion would not accept that we should discuss involuntary
repatriation with the Vietnamese, given our condemnation of their policies.
16. Our stance vis-a-vis Vietnam has not changed in the
last year.
We see no early prospect of it doing 80
subsequently in the future. Nor have we any greater expectation of securing reasonable assurances in bilateral
exchanges with the Vietnamese that
any refugees
involuntarily repatriated would be treated humanely. In response to general enquiries by HMA Hanoi the Vietnamese
have told us only that "illegal" emigrants may be imprisoned for up to 2 years: in the course of their escape they may also have committed other criminal offences (for example stealing a vessel or bribing officialdom). What we know of prison conditions is not reassuring.
SONET IVDATTAT