CONFIDENTI
QUENTIAL
10.
Meanwhile, UNHCR initially refused to accept that any of these were refugees because they have been through China, However, UNHCR have recently agreed to accept as refugees those who arrived in Hong Kong by boat provided only brief stop-overs are made in China for re-fueling, provisions, shelter from storms, etc,, and provided every effort is made by the Hong Kong Government to ascertain the full facts regarding
these people before passing them to UNHCR,
11. In pursuance of this policy 113 refugees have been handed over but attempts to transfer others have been stalled by the UNHCR representative. pending instructions from Geneva,
12. A legal officer from UNHCR Headquarters is interviewing these people. Indications are that this officer will report that they should be
regarded as refugees.
13.
Prospects for resettling these refugees are not good. Only China
The se has accepted refugees from North Vietnam for resettlement.
refugees are mainly ethnic Chinese farmers, peasants or fishermen with a
low standard of education. Under most offers of resettlement such persons
get low priority. Our aim must be to avoid such persons becoming
permanent residents in Hong Kong.
Security Branch
Government Secretariat
Hong Kong
CONFIDENTIAL
16th March, 1979
Page 210Page 211
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