CONFIDENTIAL
sides agree that comprehensive arrangements are needed for all post
The two sides agreed to make an immediate
16 June non-refugees.
It
start with those who
to return. The Vietnamese have assured us
that those who return will be properly treated and will not be punished. Repatriation will take place under a UNHCR programme.
will include modest resettlement assistance which will be channelled
via UNHCR and to which both the British and Hong Kong Governments
are in principle ready to contribute, as are other donors, including
the Community.
4. It is crucial to this policy that the Vietnamese Government accept their responsibilities towards its citizens and agrees to
take back all the illegal immigrants, not just volunteers.
If they
do not, poor Vietnamese will continue to risk their lives by setting out on the hazardous voyage to Hong Kong in overcrowded and often
unseaworthy craft under the misapprehension that a golden future
awaits them. The reality is that they have no prospect of
resettlement and their future lies in Vietnam.
5. There is no question of forcing back to Vietnam any boat people
who are determined under the screening process to be refugees. But
repatriation is the only humane way of dealing with the majority of boat people who are not refugees and who have no prospect of gaining
access to a decent life elsewhere.
6. The British and Hong Kong Governments hope that repatriation of
illegal immigrants will begin before the end of this year. The
first will be volunteers, of whom there are several hundred. Our
hope is that as they settle back into their communities, without discrimination or reprisals, word will get back to the camps in Hong
Kong and
more volunteers, realising that they have no prospect
of resettlement come forward. But it must be clear that all illegal
'L' immigrants will ultimately face repatriation. To limit repatriation to volunteers will discourage those already in the camps from facing
up to the fact that no other country will take them and encourage more people in Vietnam to set off.
will
7. At this stage our efforts are concentrated on the return of volunteers. We accept that non-voluntary repatriation would raise major humanitarian and other problems. These problems will have to be addressed in due course, but they do not need to be faced now. 8. The success of this policy therefore depends on avoiding any suggestion that only volunteers should be repatriated. But