CONFIDENTIAL
FM FCO
TO IMMEDIATE LISBON
TELNO 96
OF 271526Z JUN 88
CONFIDENTIAL
HKD 243/8
FOLLOWING TELEGRAM NOW REPEATED
TO YOU AT REQUEST OF HKD
WAS SENT TO THE HAGUE TELNO 143 OF 23/6
INFO ROUTINE HONG KONG, HANOI
INFO SAVING UKMIS GENEVA, EC POSTS, PEKING
когра
176505
MDHOAN 9164
N2816
Mr Foryman
No 28%
YOUR TELNO 240: VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE: CHANGE OF POLICY
1.
PARA 2 OF TUR: WE DO NOT UNDERESTIMATE THE DIFFICULTIES OF
PERSUADING VIETNAM TO ACCEPT THE RETURN OF NON-REFUGEES. BUT
THERE IS A GROWING INTERNATIONAL CONSENSUS THAT THIS IS A KEY
ELEMENT IN DEALING WITH THE PROBLEM. WE HAVE DISCUSSED THE ISSUE WITH THE MAJOR RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES, UNHCR, THE COUNTRIES OF FIRST ASYLUM AND OTHER COUNTRIES WHICH HAVE RESETTLED BOAT PEOPLE
FROM HONG KONG. WE HAVE ALSO RAISED THE QUESTION WITH VIETNAM DIRECTLY, IN HANOI, NEW YORK (SECRETARY OF STATE/VIETNAMESE FOREIGN MINISTER NGUYEN CO THACH) AND LONDON. UNHCR HAS OPENED A
DIALOGUE WITH VIETNAM ON THE QUESTION. MANY COUNTRIES TOOK THE
OPPORTUNITY OF A VIETNAMESE DELEGATION'S VISIT TO GENEVA IN MAY
TO DISCUSS ODP TO PRESS THIS POINT. AND THERE ARE SIGNS THAT
ASEAN IS PREPARING TO PRESS THE VIETNAMESE AS WELL. THE VIETNAMESE RESPONSE HAS NOT BEEN IMMEDIATELY ENCOURAGING, BUT THEY HAVE INDICATED A WILLINGNESS TO DISCUSS THE MATTER.
2.
PARA 3 OF TUR: IT IS NOW GENERALLY ACCEPTED THAT
RESETTLEMENT CAN ACT AS A PULL FACTOR. BUT YOU MAY WISH TO POINT
OUT TO VAN DER HEIJDEN THAT AFTER THE INTRODUCTION OF THE NEW
POLICY IN HONG KONG ONLY THOSE ARRIVALS WHO MET
INTERNATIONALLY ACCEPTED CRITERIA FOR REFUGEE STATUS WILL HAVE
ACCESS TO RESETTLEMENT. THE VERY GREAT MAJORITY OF ARRIVALS WILL BE SCREENED OUT AS NON REFUGEES, WHOSE MOTIVATION IS PURELY ECONOMIC (IE IN SEARCH OF A BETTER LIFE). THEY WILL BE
DETAINED AS ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS PENDING THEIR EVENTUAL
REPATRIATION TO VIETNAM. WE HAVE MADE GREAT EFFORTS TO ENSURE THAT THIS BLEAK MESSAGE REACHES VIETNAM. WE HOPE THAT IN THIS WAY THE DETERRENT EFFECT OF THE NEW POLICY WILL BE VERY GREAT, THEREBY NEUTRALISING ANY QUOTE PULL FACTOR UNQUOTE INHERENT IN CONTINUING RESETTLEMENT OF THOSE WITH REFUGEE STATUS.
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