GRS 700
CONFIDENT HAL
FM HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 2237
CONFIDENTIAL
172
OF 11025OZ JULY 86
RECEIVE
INFO IMMEDIATE UKMIS GENEVA, HANO, BANGKOK, KUALA LUMPUR
о
(10
HKK 243/11
REGISTRY
23 JUL 1986
OUR TEL 1346 AND UKMIS GENEVA TEL 387 : VIETNAMESE REFUGEES.
WE HAVE NOW HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO DISCUSS THE PROSPECTS FOR RESETTLING VIETNAMESE REFUGEES FROM HONG KONG IN THE U.S. IN 1987 WITH THE U.S. DEPUTY CONSUL GENERAL.
2. HIS ASSESSMENT IS THAT ONLY AROUND 700 FROM HONG KONG WILL QUALIFY FOR SETTLEMENT IN THE U.S. IN 1987 COMPARED WITH AROUND 1,500 IN 1986. HE STRESSED THAT THIS REDUCTION IN RE-SETTLEMENT WAS IN NO WAY INDICATIVE OF A DECLINE IN THE U.S. GOVERNMENT'S EFFORTS TO HELP HONG KONG. PT WAS SIMPLY THAT FOR TWO REASONS FEWER REFUGEES HERE WOULD QUALIFY UNDER U.S. CRITERIA FOR RESETTLEMENT. THE FIRST REASON WAS THAT THE U.S. HAD NOW TAKEN ALL THE LONG STAYERS WHO QUALIFIED. THE SECOND WAS THAT THE MAJORITY OF THOSE ARRIVING NOW FROM VIETNAM WERE FROM THE NORTH.
3. HE SAID THAT HIT WOULD BE IMPOSSIBLE FOR THE U.S. TO TAKE MORE REFUGEES BY RELAXING ITS CRITERIA WITHOUT CHANGING HTS LAWS. TO RELY ON THE U.S. GOVERNMENT BEING ABLE TO AMEND THE LAWS TO ACHIEVE THIS END WOULD BE TOTALLY UNREALISTIC.
4. HIS STAFF ALSO ADMITTED THAT THE U.S. IMMIGRATION AND NATURALISATION SERVICE HAD A PROPOSAL ON THE TABLE THAT THE U.S. SHOULD IN FUTURE ACCEPT NO (NO) MORE ARRIVALS FROM NORTH VIETNAM ON THE GROUNDS THAT THEY WERE ECONOMIC MIGRANTS RATHER THAN REFUGEES. THE PROPOSAL IS THAT THE U.S. GOVERNMENT SHOULD MAKE A PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT TO THIS EFFECT. THE ONLY POINT THAT IS HOLDING UP A DECISION IS THAT SOME ARRIVALS FROM NORTH VIETNAM ARE CLAIMING TO BE PERSECUTED CATHOLICS.
5. OUR CONCLUSION IS THAT THE PROSPECTS FOR 1987 ARE VERY MUCH WORSE THAN WE THOUGHT THEY WERE WHEN WE SENT YOU OUR TUR. WHEN THE OTHER RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES LEARN THAT THE U.S. WILL IN EFFECT HALF ITS OFF-TAKE, WE CAN EXPECT THEM TO FOLLOW SUIT. WE DO NOT (NOT) THINK THAT THE RESULT WILL BE ANY REDUCTION IN ARRIVALS FROM VIETNAM. OUR QUESTIONING OF THOSE ARRIVING AT
THY
valen
CONFIDENTIAL
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