TNAG-0882-FCO40-1092-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1979 — Page 112

BY C

NFIDENTIAL STATE 044313

IIVILDIATE

E.0. 12065: GDS 2/2/85 (LOWMAN, SHEPARD C.)

TAGS: SREF

SUBJECT:

VIET NAME SE BOAT REFUGEES ARRIVING FROM PRC

REF: (A)

(A) HONG KONG 2134; (B) HONG KONG 2674; (C) HONG KONG 1454; (D) HONG KONG 1287; (E) HONG KONG 78-19141; (F) HONG KONG 686; (G) HONG KONG 78-19613; (H) STATE 78- 319240 CALL NOTAL)

1. THE US REFUGEE PROGRAM FOR INDOCHINESE BOAT REFUGEES, USING LRP OR CE SPACES, IS NOT REPEAT NOT AVAILABLE FOR PEOPLE WHO ENTERED THE PRC BY LAND. VIETNAMESE REFUGEES, INCLUDING THOSE OF CHINESE ETHNIC ORIGIN, WHO ARRIVE IN HONG KONG OR MACAU BY BOAT FROM PRC AND WHO EARLIER ES- CAPED VIET NAM BY BOAT MAY BE CONSIDERED FOR CE OR PAROLE INTO US, PROVIDED THAT USG OFFICIALS DEALING WITH INDO- CHINESE REFUGEES ARE CONVINCED THAT THEY ARE GENUINE REFU- GEES FROM VIET NAM NOT OFFERED RESETTLEMENT IN PRC. EVEN IF HKG DETERMINES THAT THE REFUGEES ORIGINALLY WERE VIETNAMESE NATIONALS OR RESIDENTS AND LEFT BY BOAT, AND TURNS THEM OVER TO THE UNHCR, USG OFFICIALS IN INTERVIEW- ING THEM MUST BE INDEPENDENTLY CONVINCED THAT THEY ARE FROM VIETNAM AND NOT ACCEPTED FOR RESETTLEMENT IN PR C

BEFORE THEY CAN BE CONSIDERED FOR ADMISSION INTO US. ALTERNATIVELY, IT WOULD BE NECESSARY TO ESTABLISH A SPECIFIC CASE OF POLITICAL PERSECUTION AFTER THE REFUGEE ARRIVED BY BOAT IN THE PRC. IT IS UP TO USG OFFICIALS TO MAKE FINAL JUDGMENT WHETHER BOAT REFUGEES FROM PRC; HOWEVER LONG THEY STAYED THERE, WERE OR WERE NOT OFFERED RE SETTLEMENT. IF THEY ARE FOUND ELIGIBLE FOR ADMISSION INTO U.S., THEY WILL HAVE TO WAIT THEIR TURN ALONG WITH OT HER BOAT REFUGEES THROUGHOUT EAST ASIA.

2.

INDOCHINESE REFUGEES ENTERING HONG KONG OR MACAU BY LAND ARE NOT REPEAT NOT ELIGIBLE FOR LRP OR FOR CE PROGRAM FOR INDOCHINESE BOAT REFUGEES.

3. LONDON AND HONG KONG SHOULD PROVIDE ABOVE TO HOST GOVERNMENTS AND GENEVA AND HONG KONG SHOULD PROVIDE TO UNHCR. CHRISTOPHER

BT

443 13

CONFIDENTIAL