GRS 450
CONFUNDENTHAL
FM HONG KONG
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELNO 1567
OF 220345Z MAY 86
INFO PRIORITY HANOW
FROM JE AFFRESON FOR HUM.
CONFIDENTIAL
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VIETNAMESE REFUGEES : "NVOLUNTARY REPATRIATION.
FURTHER TO MY TELNO 1465 WE HAVE BEEN APPROACHED BY THE
AMERICANS AND CANADIANS. THE SUBJECT ALSO CAME UP WHEN THE
SECRETARY FOR THE AUSTRALIHAN DEPARTMENT OF MIGRATION AND ETHNIC
AFFAIRS WISITED HONG KONG THIS WEEK.
2. THE AMERICANS ASKED FOR AN INFORMAL MEETHING TO DISCUSS
INVOLUNTARY REPATRIATION. THEY EXPLAINED THAT, GIVEN THE DIMINISHING PROSPECTS FOR RESETTLEMENT AND THE PRESENT HIGH RATE OF ARRIVALS,
THEY THOUGHT THAT THAS SOLUTION WAS WORTHY OF FURTHER CONSIDERATION.
THEY MADE IT CLEAR THAT THEY WERE SPEAKING INFORMALLY ON BEHALF OF
THE USCG HERE. BUT WE GATHERED THAT THE OPPOSITION TO INVOLUNTARY REPATRIATION IN THE STATE DEPARTMENT LAST YEAR HAD REDUCED
CONSIDERABLY.
3. SEPARATELY, WE WERE MWITED TO LUNCH BY THE CANADIAN HIMMIGRATION OFFICIALS HERE. AFTER A BRIEF DISCUSSION ON THE PRESENT ARRIVAL
AND DEPARTURE RATE, WE WERE ASKED WHAT WE WOULD DO HF, SAY,' FILIPINOS ARRIVED A BOATS SEEKING TO LAND IN HONG KONG. THE CANADIANS ANSWERED THEIR OWN QUESTION BY SUGGESTING THAT WE WOULD RETURN THEM TO THE PHILIPPINES. WE AGREED. THEY THEN ASKED WHETHER WE HAD CONSIDERED INVOLUNTARY REPATRINATION ANY FURTHER. - . WE EXPLAINED THAT WE WERE CONSTANTLY CONSIDERING A WIDE RANGE
OF OPTHONS AND ASKED WHAT THE CANADIAN WIEW WOULD BE OF HONG KONG WERE TO PROPOSE MYOLUNTARY REPATRIATION. THEY SAID THAT THEY WOULD ENCOURAGE DISCUSSION OF THIS SUBJECT. THEY SAID THAT THE HINTERNATIONAL PRESUMPTION IN 1979 THAT ALL THOSE LEAVING VIETNAM BY BOAT WERE REFUGEES HAD TO BE RE-EXAMINED. THEY SAID THAT THIS COULD BEST BE DONE AT AN INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE. THEY SAMID THAT HIT MIGHT BE EVEN BETTER TO DISCUSS THIS AT A REGIONAL
་་
CONFERENCE. THEY FELT STRONGLY THAT THE ISSUE SHOULD BE DISCUSSED
OPENLY.
4. WE RAMSED THIS SUBJECT WITH THE AUSTRALIANS AT A RECEPTION.
THE SECRETARY FOR MIGRATION AND ETHMIC AFFAIRS SAND THE HE PERSONALLY FAVOURED THE #DEA BUT HE DID NOT THINK THE AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT
WOULD GIVE IT SUPPORT PUBLICLY.
YOUDE
LIMITED
США
78/5
HKD
SEAD
SIR W HARD ING
MR WILSON
CONFIDENTIAL