CONFIDENTIAL
3.
take
and
in
To maximise the effect of our and Hong Kong's decisions, we are pressing other resettlement countries to additional refugees from Hong Kong. So far Australia (200 refugees), Canada (500), Denmark (50), Finland (80), the Netherlands (80), New Zealand (20), Norway (about 75) Sweden (100) have offered specific increases
resettlement places, and France is to resettle some
refugees. The US, which resettles
refugees than any other country, is
refugees from Hong Kong at an annual rate of some 1,800, 200 more than the previous year's ceiling. Several other countries are likely to respond favourably to our requests for help.
more Indo-Chinese
currently accepting
US Position
4. US has accepted about 62,000 Vietnamese refugees from Hong Kong since 1975, more than any other country (60% of all those accepted from Hong Kong). In 1985 it took about 1,700 (44% of all those taken from Hong Kong).
5. Since our request late last year for an increase in the
US offtake, the US has been resettling at an annual rate of
about 1,800 during their fiscal
year 1986 (October
that US regards this
1985-September 1986). We understand
as an appropriate response to HMG's initiative, as it will
represent the largest offtake by any resettlement country from Hong Kong and will include a large proportion of long
stayers from the camps. We have thanked the Americans
whilst urging them to at least maintain this level of
offtake, which would strengthen our hand with other
resettlement countries
countries (many of whom look to the US for a
lead).
6. The US State Department is considering its response to a report ("Ray Report") by the Indo-Chinese Refugee Panel, which has recommended various changes in the way that the
US determines and administers its intake of these refugees. Mr Schultz has accepted
accepted the Report's general conclusions.
CONFIDENTIAL