CONFIDENTIAL
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1. Numbers of Vietnamese boat people arriving in Hong Kong (and
other countries of first asylum such as Thailand and Malaysia) have
increased dramatically over the past years. In the first half of 1988 9,000 arrived in Hong Kong three times more than in the whole of 1987, four times more than in 1986 and eight times more than in
1985. The boat people population in Hong Kong rose from 8,000 to
25,000 between mid 1987 and mid 1988. From the mid-seventies until
June this year Hong Kong treated all boat people as refugees and
granted them asylum pending resettlement in countries such as USA,
Canada and Australia. However it became clear that most of the
increased case-load earlier this year did not meet internationally
recognised criteria for refugees: those arriving were for the most
part from the North of Vietnam, young, typically peasants or
fishermen. They clearly had had no connection with the pre-1975
Government of South Vietnam and were not fleeing persecution, but
simply saw the journey to Hong Kong as the first step on the road to
a better life in the West. In fact, these people had virtually no
prospect of settlement in the West. The traditional countries of
resettlement were not prepared to increase their uptake. There was
no room for them in Hong Kong, where public opinion resents the fact that illegal immigrants from China are repatriated within 48 hours. while those from Vietnam stay. The only prospect for the boat people was one of dismal years in camps in Hong Kong. The Hong Kong and British Governments were faced with a humanitarian potentially
humanitow open-ended problem not of their making, but to which they
nevertheless had to find a humane solution.
according
Lautor
2. The solution was to change the policy of automatic refugee» status to one of screening and repatriation to Vietnam of those
screened out. Since 16 June 1988 all Vietnamese boat people
arriving in Hong Kong are screened to determine whether or not they are refugees. This screening is carried out in accordance with UNHCR procedures. UNHCR is also involved in the appeals procedure. Those who are refugees are treated accordingly and join the queue
for resettlement in the West. Those who are not are treated in the same way as illegal immigrants anywhere: they are kept in closed camps pending their return to their country of origin sanbe
arranged,
3. The British and Hong Kong Governments and UNHCR have held
negotiations with the Government of Vietnam. The two
CONFIDENTIAL