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The latest initiative by the UNHCR is to seek our support for plan to meet the problem of persons still leaving the Indo Chinese peninsula in small boats. The main feature of the plan is a proposal that "first port of call" countries should grant temporary entry to such persons pending arrangements for resettlement by UNHCR in countries participating in the scheme. (See Annex E).
Vietnamese Refugees in Hong Kong
Since the fall of Saigon early last year, Hong Kong has provided temporary or permanent homes for a large number of Vietnamese refugees and illegal immigrants. In May 1975, in the immediate aftermath of the Vietnamese war, about four thousand refugees arrived in Hong Kong by sea. The Hong Kong Government, with some help from the UNHCR, arranged for the resettlement of a very large number in the United State: France and Canada, and smaller numbers in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Denmark and the UK (about 35-50 eventually arrived in this country). About 30 of this original intake of refugees still remained in Hong Kong one year later. In addition, the Hong Kong authorities have had to absorb some 5,000 Vietnamese who entered the territory illegally over the same period. Further, Hong Kong has become a principal haven for refugees from other parts of South-East Asia besides Vietnam and there is a steady flow of immigrants from China. The continuing influx of refugees and illegal immigrants has placed a heavy strain on Hong Kong's services and led to some resentment on the part of the permanent population of what is, in any case, a very over-crowded territory.
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Vietnamese refugees have continued to arrive in Hong Kong in recent months. In July about 100 arrived off Hong Kong on board the Burmese-registered ship MV "AVA" The tiong Kong authorities, with HMG's support, were initially reluctant to allow these refugees to land for fear that other potential Vietnamese refugees would be encouraged to make for Hong Kong. In the event, the UNHCR's office agreed to assume full responsibility for the care of the refugees if they were landed temporarily in Hong Kong, and to seek permanent homes for them elsewhere. Given this assurance and indications from certain governments that they might be prepared to accept refugees from the "AVA" for permanent settlement, the Hong Kong authorities decided to grant transit rights to the refugees. They did likewise with a group of 20 or so more Vietnamese refugees who arrived in Hong Kong in early August aboard the Panamanian vessel MV "Meiabeto". The UNHCR's representative in Kuala Lumpur, the nearest in the area, visited Hong Kong for two to three weeks in August in order to make the necessary arrangements for the accommodation of the refugees locally and to try to find them permanent homes. By early September, 22 of the refugees had left Hong Kong for resettlement elsewhere and 77 were being considered for resettlement. The Government of the United States, in the case of the majority of refugees, the Federal Republic of Germany, Canada and France had already taken or were planning to take refugees. The expectation was that the UNHCR would be left to find homes for the remaining refugees, numbering 26 in all.
Angola
In response to a request addressed to the UN Secretary-General by the Government of Angola, a UN inter-agency mission visited Angola in July. The purpose wa to assess the humanitarian needs and volume of assistance received from the international community towards the solution of urgent problems relating to approximately one million (UNHCR estimate) refugees and displaced persons. The Mission concluded that, apart from large quantities of food required, there was an
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