CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 1075
OF 03120OZ APRIL 89
INFO IMMEDIATE UKMIS GENEVA
INFO PRIORITY PEKING, HANOI
CONFIDENTIAL
Mkn 243/9
REC'
TOP C Q DIST
MY TELNO 1050 AND YOUR TELNO 761 (NOT TO PEKING OR HANOI): VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE
128
111062
MDHIAN 8978
MY TUR EXPLAINED THE SERIOUS PRACTICAL AND POLITICAL DIFFICULTIES WE SHALL FACE THIS YEAR IF ARRIVALS OF VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE
CONTINUE AT ANYTHING LIKE THE RATE FOR LAST YEAR. AS YOU KNOW ARRIVALS ARE AT PRESENT RUNNING OVER 60 PERCENT (NEXT WORD UNDERLINED) ABOVE THE RATE FOR 1988.
2.
THE CENTRAL OBJECTIVE OF OUR POLICY IS TO DETER PEOPLE SETTING OUR FOR HONG KONG, PARTICULARLY WHEN THEY HAVE NO/NO LIKELIHOOD OF BEING CLASSIFIED AS REFUGEES. SCREENING ALONE DOES NOT ACHIEVE THIS OBJECTIVE. NOR DOES THE VOLUNTARY RETURN TO VIETNAM OF SMALL NUMBERS OF THOSE WHO ARRIVE. THE FULL FORCE OF THE SCREENING POLICY WILL ONLY BE FELT WHEN IT IS TAKEN TO ITS LOGICAL CONCLUSION BY MANDATORY REPATRIATION TO VIETNAM OF THOSE SCREENED OUT.
3
I REALISE THE DIFFICULTIES INVOLVED WITH MANDATORY REPATRIATION. FOR DIFFERENT REASONS VIETNAM, THE AMERICANS, UNHCR AND SIGNIFICANT SECTIONS OF LIBERAL OPINION IN WESTERN COUNTRIES, ARE ALL AGAINST IT. INEVITABLY THERE WILL BE A TENDENCY TO DODGE THE ISSUE AS ONE WHICH IS POLITICALLY DIFFICULT TO MANAGE. BUT IT IS NECESSARY TO FACE THE REALITIES OF NOT GRASPING THIS NETTLE. OTHER THINGS BEING EQUAL, THEY ARE THAT THE INFLOW OF VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE WILL CONTINUE: RESISTANCE TO CONTINUING TO ACCEPT THEM HERE (AND POSSIBLE ELSEWHERE IN THE REGION) WILL GROW TO AN UNCONTROLLABLE LEVEL: AND THEN THERE WILL BE CALLS, INCREASINGLY DIFFICULT TO RESIST, FOR A SCRAPPING OF THE FIRST ASYLUM POLICY AND/OR THE UK TO BEAR ALL THE BURDEN OF RESETTLEMENT AND FINANCING TEMPORARY ASYLUM.
4.
IN THE CIRCUMSTANCES, I BELIEVE THAT WE CANNOT AFFORD TO RESTRICT OURSELVES TO THE LIMITED OBJECTIVE AT GENEVA OF ENSURING THAT MANDATORY REPATRIATION IS NOT RULED OUT (PARA 3(C) OF YOUR TELNO 742): LET ALONE GO ALONG WITH THE UNHCR CONCEPT THAT MANDATORY REPATRIATION MAY ONLY BECOME POSSIBLE IN 2/3 YEARS (UKMIS
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