- ཡ--“------
SECRET
105315
MDHOAN 7525
MEANS IE, ORDERLY DEPARTURE PROGRAMME.
(M) IT WILL BE IMPORTANT TO GET ACROSS IN VIETNAM THAT HONG KONG HAS
CHANGED ITS POLICY IN ORDER TO PREVENT THE CONTINUING OUTFLOW OF THOSE HOPING TO BE TREATED AS REFUGEES. WE WOULD BE GRATEFUL FOR ANY HELP WITH PUBLICITY ON VOICE OF AMERICA/RADIO AUSTRALIA TO EMPHASIZE THAT THOSE ARRIVING IN HONG KONG, WHOSE REASONS FOR LEAVING ARE ESSENTIALLY ECONOMIC AND WHO DO NOT MEET REFUGEE CRITERIA,WILL IN FUTURE BE TREATED AS ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS AND RETURNED TO VIETNAM IN DUE COURSE.
(N) AFTER THE INTRODUCTION OF THIS NEW POLICY, A MAJOR EFFORT TO RESETTLE THOSE REFUGEES ALREADY IN HONG KONG WILL BE REQUIRED.
WE HOPE THAT YOU WILL BE ABLE TO ASSIST IN SUBSTANTIALLY REDUCING THE NUMBERS IN HONG KONG OVER THE MONTHS AHEAD.
(0) AS A MAJOR RESETTLEMENT COUNTRY/MEMBER OF ICG, WE WISH YOU TO KNOW ABOUT THIS NEW POLICY IN ADVANCE. WE WOULD BE GRATEFUL IF YOU WOULD TREAT THIS INFORMATION AS CONFIDENTIAL. OTHERWISE THERE COULD BE A DANGER OF PRECIPITATING A FURTHER EXODUS OF THOSE TRYING TO BEAT THE DEADLINE.
DEFENSIVE POINT:
(A) (WHAT RESETTLEMENT PLANS DO HMG HAVE? IF YOU TAKE MORE WE WILL.) AS YOU KNOW WE HAVE A CONTINUING RESETTLEMENT PROGRAMME OF 468 PLACES OVER THE TWO YEARS FROM MAY 1987. IT FOLLOWS FROM WHAT WE HAVE ALREADY SAID THAT WE RECOGNISE THAT RESETTLEMENT REMAINS AN IMPORTANT ASPECT OF THE PROBLEM. WE ARE NOW EXAMINING ALL ASPECTS
OF THIS PROBLEM.
BACKGROUND (AS IN SECOND TUR).
HOWE
YYYY
ΜΑΙΝ
LIMITED
HKD
SEAD
UND
40
LEGAL ADVISERS
NNAN
DISTRIBUTION
40
PS
PS/LORD GLENARTHUR
PS/MRS CHALKER
MR GILLMORE
MR MCLAREN