HKD 24317
48
Australia is not in a position to take
additional numbers of Vietnamese refugees
from Hong Kong.
We are concerned that Vietnamese arrivals
most of whom appear to be economic migrants
-
and not genuine refugees continue to come to
Hong Kong by boat.
An increased acceptance by Australia of these
arrivals for resettlement may serve to act as
a "pull" factor, encouraging other Vietnamese
to seek to enter Hong Kong.
In our pursuit of durable non-resettlement
solutions we proposed some time ago the
repatriation of screened-out Vietnamese in
Hong Kong.
We acknowledge that the Hong Kong authorities
have sought, through the British, to pursue the
repatriation initiative with the Vietnamese,
but without marked success so far.
We would encourage the Hong Kong authorities
to continue their efforts on repatriation.
Australia has accepted some 6,000 Vietnamese
from Hong Kong (of 127,000 Indochinese resettled
in Australia since 1975).
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