RESTRICTED
19. Major resettlement countries taking less?
The major resettlement countries have made a significant
contribution to the resettlement of boat people from Hong Kong. The
USA have taken well over 60,000 since 1975, Canada nearly 20,000 and
Australia about 6,000. We will continue to urge these countries to
maintain their high levels of offtake.
20.
Can the international community be expected to resettle the
recent influx?
Those who arrived in Hong Kong before the change of policy have been accepted in Hong Kong as refugees in accordance with the understanding reached in Geneva in 1979. Under these arrangements all such refugees have access to resettlement. We will be pressinng the international community to continue playing its part in discharging its responsibilities under the 1979 Geneva
understanding.
21. "Long Stayer" refugees
We are particularly concerned over the position of refugees who have been in Hong Kong camps for a long period of time. We and UNHCR place particular emphasis on this category when approaching
resettlement countries for further resettlement places.
22. Status of boat people after 1997
It is our firm intention that the Vietnamese boat people
problem in Hong Kong should be resolved well before 1997. However
the Joint Declaration on the future of Hong Kong provides for the
continuation after 30 June 1997 of Hong Kong's present social and
legal systems. Any boat people then in Hong Kong should thus retain their current status, either as refugees or as illegal immigrants.