GRS 800
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO DESKBY 18110OZ FCO
TELNO 1885
OF 18082OZ JUNE 86
#INFO PRIORITY WASHINGTON
CONFIDENTIAL
REC
PA
57)
Resettlenft
HKK 243/9
JUN 1986
YOUR TELNO 129: VIETNAMESE REFUGEES
WE DISCUSSED THE US REFUGEE CASELOAD WITH REPRESENTATINES FROM THE USCG AND JVA ON 9 JUNE. THIS WAS AN INFORMAL MEETING AND WE EXPLAINED THAT WE WISHED TO PREPARE FOR A FORMAL APPROACH TO THE USCG ON US RESETTLEMENT CRMITERINA.
2. THE AMERICANS AGAIN EMPHASISED THAT THEY WERE FACHING A SHORTFALL IN ELIGIBLE REFUGEES IN HONG KONG IN THE NEAR FUTURE. THEY EXPLAINED THAT THEY HAD CAREFULLY REVIEWED THOSE CASES IN THE PIPELINE AND THEY THOUGHT THAT IN AUGUST AND SEPTEMBER THIS YEAR THINGS WOULD LOOK QUITE BLEAK.
3. WE THEN CONSIDERED THE US CRITERIA. WHICH ARE SET OUT IN PAGES
45 AND 46 OF THE RAY PANEL REPORT.
4. AS REGARDS P1 CASES, ONLY A HANDFUL OF EXCEPTIONAL CASES HAVE BEEN CONSIDERED BY THE AMERICANS. THESE WERE THE RESULT OF SPECIAL PLEADING BY POLITICIANS IN THE US. WE AGREED THAT HIT WAS UNLIKELY THAT ANY FURTHER P1 OFFTAKE WOULD BE CONSIDERED IN ANY SIGNIFICANT NUMBERS.
5. AS REGARDS P2 CASES, ALL THOSE WHO ARE ELIGIBLE HAVE BEEN TAKEN. THE AMERICANS DO NOT THINK THAT THERE ARE ANY P2 CASES *N HONG
KONG WHOM THEY HAVE OVERLOOKED. THEY AGREED TO CONTINUE TO TAKE P2 CASES BUT POINTED OUT THAT THOSE COMING TO HONG KONG WERE VERY FEW AND FAR BETWEEN.
6. AS REGARDS P3 (AND P5) CASES, THERE ARE ABOUT 1600 REFUGEES MIN HONG KONG WITH RELATIVES IN THE UNITED STATES WHO HAVE BEEN TURNED DOWN BY WINS BECAUSE THEY DO NOT (NOT) QUALIFY AS REFUGEES. THEY CANNOT PROVE THAT THEY HAVE REASONABLE GROUNDS TO FEAR PERSECUTION. ALTHOUGH NOT ARDUOUS, THE INS CRITERIA ARE QUITE STRICT.
TO CHANGE THE NS RULES REGARDING REFUGEE STATUS, IT WILL BE NECESSARY TO CHANGE THE AMERICAN IMMIGRATION LAWS. THIS IS A
LONG AND COMPLICATED PROCESS. AMENDMENTS TO THE IMMIGRATION LAWS HAVE BEEN DEADLOCKED IN CONGRESS FOR MANY YEARS ALREADY.
CONFIDENTIAL