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MIPT: VIETNAMESE REFUGEES : LEGCO POLICY DEBATE.
I WOULD NOW LIKE TO TURN TO THE PROBLEM OF VIETNAMESE
REFUGEES WHICH WAS RAISED BY MY HONOURABLE COLLEAGUES, MR. PETER
C. WONG, DR. HO KAM-FAI, MR. JACKIE CHAN AND MRS. RITA FAN.
2.
I AM MOST GRATEFUL FOR THE CONTINUING INTEREST SHOWN BY
MEMBERS OF THIS COUNCIL IN HELPING TO FIND SOLUTIONS TO THE
INTRACTABLE PROBLEM OF VIETNAMESE REFUGEES IN HONG KONG. I CAN
ASSURE HONOURABLE MEMBERS THAT THE ADMINISTRATION IS EQUALLY
CONCERNED ABOUT THIS ISSUE AND ITS EFFECT ON HONG KONG. WE ARE
WELL AWARE OF THE CONTRADICTION BETWEEN OUR POLICY ON VIETNAMESE
REFUGEES AND OUR VERY NECESSARY POLICY (GIVEN OUR ACUTE POPULATION
PRESSURES) TOWARDS ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS FROM CHINA. BUT, AS MR.
WONG POINTED OUT, THE PRINCIPLES THAT GOVERN OUR SOCIETY ARE HUMANITARIAN, AND UNTIL SUCH TIMES AS WE CAN BE SATISFIED ABOUT THE TREATMENT OF ANY WHO ARE SENT BACK TO VIETNAM, WE MUST CONTINUE
TO GRANT THEM ASYLUM HERE.
3. BUT WHILE WE AS A PLACE OF FIRST ASYLUM IN ACCORDANCE WITH
OUR INTERNATIONAL OBLIGATIONS CONTINUE TO ACCEPT ALL WHO COME HERE, THE RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES HAVE QUITE STRICT LIMITATIONS ON THE NUMBERS AND THE SORT OF REFUGEES THEY ARE PREPARED TO TAKE. AS A
RESULT WE ARE LANDED WITH AN INCREASINGLY LARGE POPULATION WHOM NO ONE IS WILLING TO RESETTLE. 1155 OF OUR REFUGEES HAVE BEEN HERE
FOR AS LONG AS SIX YEARS. AGAINST THIS BACKGROUND, WE HAVE BEEN
GREATLY ASSISTED BY HMG'S DECISION TO BROADEN THE FAMILY REUNION
CRITERIA IT APPLIES IN DECIDING WHO TO TAKE. AS A RESULT 423
REFUGEES HAVE LEFT HONG KONG FOR THE UNITED KINGDOM SO FAR THIS
YEAR. IN ADDITION, BELGIUM, DENMARK, FINLAND, GREECE, JAPAN, LUXEMBOURG, THE NETHERLANDS, NEW ZEALAND, NORWAY AND SWEDEN HAVE RESPONDED BY TAKING REFUGEES FROM HONG KONG. THE MAJOR RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES (THE UNITED STATES, AUSTRALIA AND CANADA) HAVE EITHER MAINTAINED OR INCREASED THEIR REGULAR MONTHLY OFF-TAKE FROM HONG KONG. AT THE END OF OCTOBER THIS YEAR A TOTAL OF 3,300 REFUGEES HAD BEEN RESETTLED FROM HONG KONG, COMPARED TO 3,200 DURING THE SAME PERIOD IN 1985. THOUGH THIS REPRESENTS ONLY A 3 PERCENT INCREASE, IT MUST BE VIEWED IN THE CONTEXT OF A SHRINKING WORLDWIDE INTEREST IN RESETTLEMENT GENERALLY. WITHOUT THE BRITISH INITIATIVE, RESETTLEMENT FROM HONG KONG THIS YEAR WOULD HAVE BEEN VERY MUCH LOWER. AND ITS CONSEQUENCES HAVE BEEN SIGNIFICANT. AT 8165 ON
21 NOVEMBER OUR REFUGEE POPULATION WAS AT ITS LOWEST SINCE 1979, AND 1280 LESS THAN IT WAS AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS YEAR. WE ARE EXTREMELY GRATEFUL TO HMG AND TO ALL THE RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES
FOR THE VERY REAL HELP THEY HAVE GIVEN US.
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4.
IT IS TRUE THAT THERE HAS BEEN AN INCREASE IN ARRIVALS THIS
YEAR. AT THE END OF OCTOBER, 1900 REFUGEES HAD ARRIVED COMPARED
TO 950 DURING THE SAME PERIOD IN 1985. HMG IS NATURALLY CONCERNED
BY THE COINCIDENCE OF THIS DOUBLING IN THE NUMBER OF ARRIVALS
FOLLOWING ON HMG'S INITIATIVE IN TAKING 500 REFUGEES PLUS THE
RESPONSE OF THE OTHER RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES. AS FAR AS WE CAN
TELL FROM QUESTIONING THESE ARRIVALS, THEY WERE NOT SPECIFICALLY
LURED INTO COMING TO HONG KONG BY THE INCREASE IN RESETTLEMENT IN
1986 - AND IN PRACTICE THIS INCREASE HAS NOT BEEN THAT DRAMATIC
ANYWAY. RATHER, THEY CAME HERE FOR A VARIETY OF REASONS OF WHICH
THE MAIN ONE IS THE PROSPECT OF A BETTER ECONOMIC LIFE.
5.
WHEN IT ANNOUNCED ITS DECISION TO RELAX ITS FAMILY REUNION
CRITERIA IN RESPECT OF REFUGEES IN HONG KONG, HMG UNDERTOOK TO
CONSIDER WHAT MORE IT MIGHT DO TO TRY TO RESOLVE THE PROBLEM IN
THE LIGHT OF OTHER COUNTRIES' RESPONSE TO HONG KONG'S NEEDS.
WE HAVE PUT IT TO HMG THAT OTHER COUNTRIES HAVE RESPONDED GENEROUSLY.
6. WE HAVE ALSO BEEN PRESSING FOR AN APPROACH TO THE VIETNAMESE
WITH A VIEW TO OPENING UP DISCUSSIONS ON MEANS OF RETURNING THOSE
FOUND NOT TO BE REFUGEES TO VIETNAM. HMG RECOGNISES THAT
RESETTLEMENT CAN NO LONGER BE THE SOLE SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM AND
THE ISSUE NEEDS TO BE EXPLORED IN CONSULTATION WITH OTHER INTERESTED
PARTIES INCLUDING UNHCR.
7.
MEANWHILE WE HAVE PASSED ON THE CONCERNS EXPRESSED BY
HONOURABLE MEMBERS TO THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT.
AKERS-JONES
HMLNAN 5214
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PS/MR RENTON PS/MR EGGAR
MR GILLMORE
MR SLATER
NEWS D
MR WILSON
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MR BRAITHWAITE
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