NEW ZEALAND
SWEDEN
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19
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CONFIDENTIAL
42431
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FRANCE HAS ALSO AGREED TO RESETTLE A NUMBER OF REFUGEES FROM HONG KONG. 1,451 REFUGEES LEFT HONG KONG FOR RESETTLEMENT IN THE FIRST FOUR MONTHS OF THIS YEAR, 300 MORE THAN IN THE SAME PERIOD
IN 1985.
WE EXPECT SEVERAL OTHER COUNTRIES TO RESPOND POSITIVELY
SOON, AND ARE GRATEFUL TO ALL THESE FOR THEIR CONSTRUCTIVE ASSISTANCE TOWARDS A RESOLUTION OF HONG KONG'S REFUGEE PROBLEM.
ACTION BY HONG KONG
丩。
IN THE LIGHT OF THESE RESPONSES, HONG KONG HAS DECIDED TO
RESETTLE UP TO 250 ETHNIC CHINESE REFUGEES FROM THE OPEN CAMPS IN
HONG KONG. SINCE THESE REFUGEES WILL BE DRAWN FROM THOSE IN THE KAI TAK CAMP WHO HAVE BEEN IN HONG KONG FOR 4-6 YEARS, THIS REPRESENTS A VALUABLE CONTRIBUTION BY HONG KONG TOWARDS RESOLVING
THE INTRACTABLE PROBLEM OF LONG-STAYERS'.
64 PER CENT OF THE REFUGEES
IN THE CAMPS IN HONG KONG HAVE BEEN THERE FOR MORE THAN 3 YEARS.
NO OTHER PLACE OF FIRST ASYLUM
IN THE REGION HAS MORE THAN 9 PER CENT OF
ITS REFUGEES IN THIS CATEGORY. 33 REFUGEES HAVE ALREADY BEEN
RESETTLED IN HONG KONG. WE ARE GRATEFUL FOR UNHCR'S ASSISTANCE
IN SELECTING REFUGEES FOR THIS PROGRAMME.
5.
HONG KONG HAS ALSO ESTABLISHED A SHIP RESCUE TRANSIT
CENTRE IN HONG KONG. HONG KONG'S ACTION REPRESENTS AN EFFORT TO
EASE THE PROBLEMS FOR RASRO PARTICIPANTS OF RESETTLING SHIP
RESCUE CASES WITHIN THE 90-DAY PERIOD DEADLINE BEFORE THE
RESCUING SHIP'S FLAG STATE HAS TO ACCEPT THEM. BY ESTABLISHING THE CENTRE HONG KONG WILL, OF COURSE, HAVE TO ACCOMMODATE MORE
REFUGEES THAN AT PRESENT.
RESETTLEMENT IN UK
6.
UK'S PROGRAMME OF FAMILY REUNION RESETTLEMENT ANNOUNCED IN SEPTEMBER 1985 IS PROCEEDING SMOOTHLY. BY MAY 1986 295 REFUGEES HAD BEEN RESETTLED IN UK FROM HONG KONG: WE ARE MORE
THAN MAINTAINING OUR MONTHLY TARGET OF 40 RESETTLEMENTS.
7.
PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE THAT HMG HAVE ALSO DECIDED RECENTLY
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CONFIDENTIAL