TNAG-0794-FCO40-998-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1978 — Page 119

H.K dep't FCO.

EFUGEES AND DISPLACED PERSONS IN HONG KONG

BACKGROUND NOTE BY THE UNITED KINGDOM, GENEVA 11 DECEMBER 1978

1.

The UNHCR's note (HCR/CSEA/2) shows Hong Kong with the third highest total in the region of boat refugees arriving since. August

1975; and, at present, with the second highest number awaiting

resettlement. These figures do not, of course, include 3743 who arrived (most on the "Clara Maersk" in May 1975) before the UNHCR assumed active responsibility for boat refugees in Hong Kong.

2. It is sometimes forgotten that Hong Kong has been considerably affected by the problem of other refugees and displaced persons from Indo-China. During 1975 Hong Kong allowed 6969 residents of countries in Indo-China to remain in Hong Kong because they were unable or unwilling to return (footnote A). Furthermore, since December 1976 the Hong Kong government has arranged 31 charter flights from Ho Chi Minh city to bring people normally resident in Vietnam to join relatives in Hong Kong and a small number have come on Air France flights: total figure 4790. Finally, 228 boat refugees have exceptionally been allowed to settle in Hong Kong either directly or after being originally landed elsewhere. These various groups amount to about 12,000 people who did not previously have permanent residence in Hong Kong.

3. The boat refugee problem in Hong Kong must also be seen in the

context of Hong Kong's rather special circumstances. The latest estimate is that (with an area of approximately 1040 kms) Hong Kong has a population of 4.7 million. Furthermore, although effective public education has helped to lower the birth-rate, Hong Kong has traditionally had to cope with very high levels of immigration. This is a particularly worrying question at present. It is estimated that 1978 will see about 120,000 new arrivals from all sources (footnote B).

This is far more than Hong Kong can reasonably absorb. The total number of boat refugees in Hong Kong may be small in the context of the overall problem of refugees from Indo-China, but it bulks large when set against this background.

/4.