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Timely. I've added
a reference in the
etty minute to the PM
Office of Members of the Executive and Legislative Councils
行政立法兩局議員辦事處
228
Lord Glenarthur
House of Lords
17 November 1988
и Нил,
HKD
For
advice
wiezse
by 29'11
(PS w
e
London SW1A OPW
United Kingdom
MED 243/5
Dear Lord Glenarthur,
22 V
PS
PS Mr Patter
PS, Ford Glearther
PS;
Vietnamese Boat People in Hong Kong
The Vietnamese
Mr Eggar
PS/PJS
My Gilmore Mr Mchwen
Seto
4VD
Now is dept
PRJ
Hong Kong
we have
boat people influx to
has
worsened dramatically since I last wrote to both Houses of the
Today 1987.
а
refugee in January UK Parliament
over the а 93% increase 15,552 which represents population of 15,552 which
In addition, we have another In figure of 8,059 in January 1987. 9,547 Vietnamese boat people who have arrived but whose refugee status or otherwise has yet to be ascertained.
each
-
The record of UK's acceptance of Vietnamese refugees
Over the
five past has from
Kong
been disappointing. Hong
refugees from 1,000 Vietnamese refugees than taken less than years, UK has
five Hong Kong whereas during the same period, the United States and Canada had
resettled 5,497 and 4,958 respectively times that of the UK while Australia took in more than 2,500. I need not draw on further statistics to show why resettlement finding it increasingly difficult to justify the when UK, the countries are
from
Kong Hong of more refugees acceptance sovereign state, has only managed to take in so few.
measures
the and influx The
lack of
adequate
resettlement
introduce
new number of a forced the Hong Kong Government
We have, since 16 June 1988, to tackle the problem.
we have stopped granting refugee status automatically to Vietnamese boat
As a parallel measure,
for the refugees people arriving in Hong Kong.
liberalization programme also started
However, these measures will currently kept at closed centres.
a
other not be effective unless the UK takes a lead in increasing the
for resettlement number it
takes
So as
encourage to
resettlement countries to accept the remaining refugees.
Legislative Council Building, 8 Jackson Road, Central, Hong Kong. FPXlHĽADEMAM Tel: 5-8440700