TNAG-0792-FCO40-996-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1978 — Page 146

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1. Yesterday morning I attended a meeting called by Mr P Morgan (UND) to discuss the problems posed by the large number of so-called "boat-people" currently staying in Hong Kong whilst awaiting resettlement elsewhere. The meeting, at which representatives of SEAD, MVD and the Home Office were also present, was arranged as a result of the Hong Kong Government's serious concern about the recent influx of refugees (see Hong Kong telegram no 1020 and Mr Orr's letter of 25 August).

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2. The background to this question dates back to the fall of the South Vietnamese regime in 1975 (see attached "Note for ExCo") but the present problem has developed only since May of this year, when there were, in the Colony, only 241 refugees still awaiting resettlement, and of these 61 were due to be settled in this country, as a result of an approach to us from the Hong Kong Government at the end of last year. (Although processing them is taking longer than we might have expected, the first batch of the 61 is due to arrive here later this month). The Home Office offer to take this group was made as an exceptional gesture and was welcomed in Hong Kong as such at the time; unfortunately the offer no longer seems as generous as it did, because there are now nearly 3,500 "boat- people" in the Colony awaiting resettlement: almost all of whom have arrived in Hong Kong in the last three months.

3. The purpose of yesterday's meeting was, above all, to consider how we can best provide practical assistance to the Hong Kong Government who feel, with some justification, that they are now suffering the consequences of their liberal policy on refugees (ie not demanding guarantees from third countries before accepting Vietnamese "boat-people"). policy was originally urged on them by HMG.

4. At the meeting it was agreed:

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i) that Hong Kong is a special case and deserves any assist- ance which we can provide (although SEAD feel that we would be obliged to give some assistance to Malaysia and Thailand if we decided to settle a substantial number of refugees from. Hong Kong in the UK);

ii) that HMG's record on taking refugees is poor compared with those of other developed countries (eg Canada and Austria), even if this is partly balanced by our generosity to the UNHCR; iii) that HMG's poor record on refugees makes it harder for us to put pressure on other countries to accept more refugees;

iv) that the Home Office would be happy to take more Vietnamese refugees if sufficient funds were available;

v) that the voluntary organisations which process and place refugees in this country would be able and willing to deal with a new influx of refugees (although this might take some time).

CODE 18-77

CONFIDENTIAL

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