PTAACX
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
London SW1A 2AH
file
TLD 243/12 ний
FEB 1988
Гоб
8
Miss J C Stewart
Bl Division
Home Office
Lunar House CROYDON
Dear Miss Stewart,
Telephone 01- 270 2652.
Your reference
Our reference
Date
12 February 1988
HOME AFFAIRS COMMITTEE: FOLLOW-UP TO PAST ENQUIRIES
Beau
I
1. Thank you for your letter of 15 January to Paul Arkwright. propose to comment upon and update the first three headings of the paper attached by you which are for us to comment upon. The remaining headings cover issues with which I presume you are dealing.
2.
On 1 January 1988 there was a total of 9,532 Vietnamese refugees awaiting resettlement in camps in Hong Kong; 2,965 were in the open centre, 6,567 were in closed centres. Numbers arriving in Hong Kong since 1984 are as follows: 1984 - 2230, 1985 - 1112, 1986 - 2074 and 1987 - 3,395. In 1987, the total number of Vietnamese resettled from camps in Hong Kong was 2,212 with 156 and 45 resettled in the UK and HK respectively. The United Kingdom also accepted a further * Vietnamese under the Orderly Departure and family Reunion programmes in 1987. (Annex A includes a breakdown of countries of resettlement and numbers accepted in 1987 as well as the figures for January 1988).
and
3. The information given under the second heading of the paper about education and training facilities in the closed camps remains valid. In addition the Hong Kong Government are currently considering the scope for the introduction of new work and training programme for refugees living in the closed centres, possible new measures to help integrate refugee children in the local education system. These ideas would be aimed primarily at improving the resettlement prospects and integration capabilities of the refugees. But they should also have a rehabilitative effect. Resettlement criteria are primarily a Home Office matter, and at present there are no plans to vary them.
4. Since the submission of the last paper the United Kingdom has agreed to accept a further 468 Vietnamese refugees from Hong Kong. Thus far the response from other resettlement countries to this lead has been disappointing. We are continuing to make strenuous
* The Home Office should provide these figures
/efforts