HUD 243/8 ния
CONFIDENTIAL
APR 1988
EFFORTS BY HONG KONG REFUGEE CHIEF TO CREATE REGIONAL CONSENSUS ON LIMITING FIRST ASYLUM
TALKING POINTS:
WE RECOGNIZE THE DIFFICULT PROBLEM THE HKG FACES WITH RESPECT TO INCREASING NUMBERS OF REFUGEES IN ITS CAMPS. HK'S PROBLEM IS DIFFERENT FROM THAT OF THE ASEAN COUNTRIES RECEIVING REFUGEES IN THAT A LARGE PERCENTAGE OF THOSE ARRIVING IN HK ARE INELIGIBLE FOR RESETTLEMENT UNDER THE CRITERIA OF THE MAJOR RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES. CONTRARY TO THE CASE IN HK, IN THAILAND WE HAVE FOUND (FROM THE ADMITTEDLY LIMITED SAMPLING THAT WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO MAKE), THAT MANY OF EVEN THE MOST RECENT ARRIVALS DO QUALIFY FOR OUR RESETTLEMENT PROGRAMS.
WE ALSO RECOGNIZE THAT OUR RESETTLEMENT OFF-TAKE FROM HK DROPPED IN 1987. AS AMBASSADOR MOORE TOLD YOU LAST FALL, AND REITERATED TO THE UK CHIEF OBSERVER AT THE ICG MEETING IN OTTAWA IN EARLY APRIL, THE U.S. WILL CONTINUE TO REVIEW THE BRITISH REQUEST THAT WE PROCESS P-6 REFUGEES FROM HK BASED ON THE UK PERFORMANCE IN INCREASING ITS LAMENTABLY LOW OFF-TAKE. HOWEVER, EVEN WITHOUT ANY SPECIAL EFFORT OF THAT SORT, WE ANTICIPATE A SOMEWHAT HIGHER LEVEL OF OFF-TAKE IN 1988.
WE HAVE ALSO CONTRIBUTED TO THE REDUCTION IN THE LONG- STAYER POPULATION IN HK IN AN ARRANGEMENT WHEREBY FRANCE HAS AGREED TO ACCEPT ADDITIONAL NUMBERS OF THEM FROM HK WHILE WE WILL TAKE EQUAL NUMBERS FROM THE PHILIPPINES THAT FRANCE WOULD OTHERWISE HAVE BEEN OBLIGATED TO TAKE. (FYI: WE ARE REFERRING HERE TO THE SWAP OF LONG-STAYERS FOR REFUGEES PICKED UP BY MERCY SHIPS GUARANTEED BY FRANCE. IN 1987, FRANCE TOOK AN ADDITIONAL 50 LONG-STAYERS FROM HK, AND THIS YEAR EXPECTS TO TAKE UP TO 100 UNDER THIS ARRANGEMENT. END FYI.)
INDOCHINESE
AS YOU KNOW,
THE STATUS OF FIRST ASYLUM IN THAILAND FOR REFUGEES HAS DETERIORATED SERIOUSLY THIS YEAR. HAVE BEEN VERY ACTIVE IN ATTEMPTING TO RESTORE FIRST ASYLUM THERE.
WE
CONFIDENTIAL
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