Closed camps
CONFIDENTIAL
8.
(Defensive)
Regret that present circumstances do not
make it possible to discontinue closed camp policy.
Decline since 1982 in rate at which Vietnamese have arrived
in Hong Kong, compared with that for South East Asian
region as a whole, is we believe due largely to closed camp
policy. In HMG's view, abolition of the policy would cause
sharp rise in level of arrivals, and consequently
unmanageable rise in the camp population in Hong Kong.
an
Rescue at Sea
9.
(RASRO)
On the Rescue at Sea Resettlement Offers
scheme, am glad to report that Hong Kong was a RASRO
regional transit centre in Hong Kong, and the centre is now
operational.
CONFIDENTIAL