DRAFT (B:RM367)
CONFIDENTIAL
Vietnamese Boat People
Replaces paras 16-18 of draft to Chief Secretary
As for the returning non-volunteers themselves we have an
agreement with the Government of Vietnam to make a payment of
$625 per head for each of the first group of returnees, to be
used for various forms of support on their return; and have
agreed with them that further discussion will take place on the
arrangements for subsequent groups. The Vietnamese have argued
for a higher figure, while we consider the amount already generous in relation to UNHCR norms. Since the first group is
expected to be around 50 persons the cost will be trivial in relation to the sum of "up to about £4 million" agreed by Treasury in (? June). The Hong Kong Government will meet costs
of transport etc for each refugee, which are of a similar order
of magnitude.
The main issue here is what it will take to re-negotiate our
agreement with the Vietnamese to cover a programme of substantial
and regular returns. As mentioned during the OD (K) meeting on 4
October, we would propose to negotiate a sufficient level of incentive for the Vietnamese to accept back all non-refugees, whether they volunteer or not. It is my judgement that in order to secure Vietnamese agreement to such a programme we will need
to be able to offer a significant financial inducement to
Vietnam. Such an inducement could take several forms, which are
not mutually exclusive:
(a) a continued capitation payment (which could cost a theoretical maximum of about £15 million on the basis of 38,000 returnees at $625 each, a sum that would of course be drastically reduced if voluntary repatriation, which would be financed
CONFIDENTIAL