RECEIVED Y
Wha
£ OCT 1986
A
PY
Ma
OCMIAN 5678
CONFIDENTIAL
DD 010100Z HOKON
FM FCOLN TO HOKON
301130Z SEP
GRS 625
CONFIDENTIAL
FM FCO
TO DESKBY 010100Z HONG KONG
TELNO 2083
OF 301130Z SEPTEMBER 86
INFO ROUTINE UKMIS GENEVA
MIPT: UNHCR EXCOM MEETING
CONFIDENTIAL
TOP COPY
Q DIST ?
ぐ
65678
POINTS TO MAKE
RESETTLEMENT
1.
HONG KONG HAS THE LARGEST NUMBER OF VIETNAMESE BOAT
PEOPLE AWAITING RESETTLEMENT (8,500) OF ANY PLACE OF FIRST ASYLUM
IN SOUTH EAST ASIA. 64 PER CENT HAVE BEEN THERE OVER 3 YEARS, A
MUCH HIGHER PROPORTION OF LONG STAYERS THAN ANYWHERE ELSE IN THE
REGION. IT IS DIFFICULT TO FIND RESETTLEMENT PLACES: SERIOUS
RISK THAT SITUATION OF REFUGEES IN HONG KONG'S CAMPS WILL
DETERIORATE IF RESETTLEMENT PICTURE DOES NOT IMPROVE. UK HAS
ACCEPTED NEARLY 20,000 VIETNAMESE REFUGEES FOR RESETTLEMENT,
MOSTLY FROM HONG KONG, INCLUDING OVER 400 IN THE PAST YEAR.
2.
JUST BEFORE THE LAST EXCOM HMG PUBLISHED A WHITE PAPER IN
RESPONSE TO REPORT ON VIETNAMESE REFUGEES BY HOME AFFAIRS
COMMITTEE'S SUB-COMMITTEE ON RACE RELATIONS AND IMMIGRATION
(SCORRI). WHITE PAPER REFLECTED HMG'S CONCERN ABOUT HONG KONG'S
REFUGEE PROBLEMS. IT ANNOUNCED OUR AGREEMENT TO ACCEPT FOR
RESETTLEMENT SOME 500 VIETNAMESE REFUGEES WHO HAVE RELATIVES IN
THE UK BUT WHO WOULD NOT QUALIFY FOR ADMISSION UNDER OUR NORMAL
CRITERIA. OVER 400 HAVE BEEN RESETTLED IN UK, ALMOST ALL FROM
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