TNAG-0845-FCO40-1055-Visits-of-Foreign-and-Commonwealth-officials-to-Hong-Kong-1979 — Page 135

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w

arrived in Hong Kong this year, the UNHCR have so far only resettled

aut 9,000. On 4 September, there were 67,213 refugees in Hong Kong

awaiting resettlement.

4.

Altogether Hong Kong has received some 35% of all Vietnamese boat

refugees. But only 15% of the resettlement places that have been

pledged by third countries have been made available to Hong Kong:

the major resettlement programmes announced so far, Hong Kong's share

is as follows:

of

U.S.A.

Canada

Australia

New Zealand

14%

15%

7%

6%

Neither France nor West Germany have announced a specific allocation.

for Hong Kong, but it is clear from the commitments they have made

elsewhere that the territory can expect only a minor share of the

places available in either country. The Hong Kong Government have

said that they expect to still have at least 45,000 refugees at the end of the year, but even this figure looks over-optimistic on present

trends.

Measures being taken by the UK and Hong Kong Governments

5.

Arrangements are in hand to resettle in the UK the first of the

additional quota of 10,000 refugees announced on 18 July.

6. Both the UK and Hong Kong Governments are taking every opportunity

to persuade other governments to do more for Hong Kong. Since the

Geneva Conference, the Chief Secretary of Hong Kong has been to

Australia and New Zealand, and the US Vice-President, Mr Mondale, has

been invited to Hong Kong to see the situation for himself. The

Governor will be visiting Canada from 2 to 5 October.

7. The Hong Kong Government have introduced tough new laws to deter

trafficking in refugees for profit. In August, the Captain of one

vessel engaged in this trafficking, the Huey Fong, was jailed for

/62 years

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6 years.