62
See (63
GRS 750
RESTRICTED
FM HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 3956
OF 250401Z NOVEMBER 86
RESTRICTED
+KK 243/11
RECONT
HOSTPY
- 8 DEC 1986
}:;; །{
PA
KHAIRY
Addon Taken
Mek 4/12
MIPT: VIETNAMESE REFUGEES : LEGCO POLICY DEBATE.
TOP COPY
Q DIST ?
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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