TNAG-0794-FCO40-998-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1978 — Page 122

Footnote A:

Footnote B:

Footnote C:

3968 from Vietnam, 1861 from Cambodia and 1140 from Laos.

Hong Kong benefits, of course, from the willingness of many countries to accept as residents people migrating from Hong Kong. Many of these have acquired considerable professional and technical skills through public, private, commercial and industrial educational programmes in Hong Kong.

Boat refugee arrivals in Hong Kong 1976-78:

1976

1977

1978 (to 7 Dec)

Own small boats

19

434

2,422

Rescued by Hong Kong small

7

30

boats (and others)

1,913

Rescued by ocean-going

165

537

818

vessels

Totals

191

1,001 5,153

Footnote D:

Footnote E:

Note: for 1978

(1) "Others" includes 55 on lifeboats and 570 on·

trawlers from Taiwan;

(2) "Ocean-going vessels" 386 on cargo ships

and 432 on US naval vessels.

Land values and the cost of living in Hong Kong are very high compared with most other places of first asylum. Most areas of land not already developed are currently (or will soon) figure in expensive development programmes. Except for totally inhospitable terrain - and country parks which are essential lungs for the health of the community - an empty hectare can hardly be found. One of the three areas used as a camp for the "Clara Maersk" refugees is now part of a new mass transit railway. A second is a recreation centre in a country park and the third is a much-needed site for a police cadet school. The total estimated costs borne by the Hong Kong Government in setting up and servicing these camps was about US dollars one million.

Other than those given by the UNHCR for accommodation: maintenance and processing for onward resettlement.