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B. LOCAL UNHCR PLANS TO INCREASE ACCOMMODATION DO NOT EVEN KE ACCOUNT OF ALL REFUGEES ALREADY HERE, NEVER MIND THOSE WE EXPECT TO ARRIVE AT THE RATE OF PROBABLY 10,000 OR MORE PER MONTH DURING THE HEIGHT OF THE SOUTH-WEST MONSOON FROM MAY TO OCTOBER.
4. IF FCO SEES NO OBJECTION GRATEFUL IF YOU WOULD DO WHAT YOU CAN TO HAVE INSTRUCTIONS ISSUED TO UNHCR REPRESENTATIVE TO EXPEDITE ACCEPTANCE OF REFUGEES FROM US: TO LIFT HIS REFUSAL TO ACCEPT ANY WHO HAVE COME VIA CHINA: AND TO COLLABORATE WITH US IN A CRASH PROGRAMME TO ACCOMMODATE PRESENT AND EXPECTED NUMBERS WHICH WE EXPECT TO REACH 40,000 BY JULY, IN DOING SO THE
POINTS OF DETAIL IN THE FOLLOWING PARAGRAPHS MAY BE OF ASSISTANCE.
5. REFUGEES HAVE NEVER BEEN DETAINED HERE BECAUSE OF ANY DOUBT ABOUT THEIR STATUS AS REFUGEES. IN NOVEMBER 1978, SOME WERE, FOR THE FIRST TIME, DETAINED BECAUSE THERE WAS A SLIGHT
POSSIBILITY OF PERSUADING THE CHINESE TO ACCEPT BACK A GROUP FOR WHOM WE HAD EVIDENCE OF TIME SPENT IN CHINA. IT WAS IN UNHCR'S
INTEREST AS WELL AS OURS TO GET THE POSITION CLARIFIED. THE CHINESE REPLY, WHEN IT FINALLY CAME, WAS THAT NONE OF THE CASES PRESENTED PROVED TO HAVE BEEN SETTLED IN CHINA, CHINA WOULD, HOWEVER, BE WILLING TO CONSIDER ACCEPTING BACK THOSE FOR WHOM THERE WAS SUCH EVIDENCE. THE UNHCR INVESTIGATING TEAM WHICH HAS JUST CONCLUDED SIX WEEKS' WORK HERE HAS NOT, WE BELIEVE, COME UP WITH ANY BETTER EVIDENCE THAN WE WERE ABLE TO DISCOVER. THE KEY POINTS ARE THAT ALL THOSE IN QUESTION HAVE FLED FROM VIETNAM AND
HAVE NO RIGHT TO SETTLE HERE. BY WHATEVER ROUTE THEY HAVE COME HERE IT IS NOW UP TO THE UNHCR TO TRY TO GET THEM RESETTLED.
6. IN THE PAST 16 MONTHS HONG KONG HAS ABSORBED ABOUT 175,00 PEOPLE WHO HAVE ENTERED LEGALLY OR ILLEGALLY FROM CHINA (GREATER
THAN THE CUTSTANDING NUMBER OF LAND-CASES IN THAILAND). IT IS DIFFICULT ENOUGHT TO EXPECT A COMMUNITY UNDER SUCH PRESSURE OF NUMBERS TO TOLERATE AS GENEROUS A LANDING POLICY AS HONG KONG HAS SO FAR MAINTAINED. IT WOULD BE IMPOSSIBLE TO EXPECT IT TO ACCEPT FOR RESIDENCE ANY REFUGEES FROM VIETNAM (AS PROPOSED BY HARTLING) OTHER THAN THOSE WHO HAVE CLOSE FAMILY CONNECTIONS HERE.
7. TO HELP RELIEVE THE ACUTE ACCOMMODATION PROBLEMS WHICH UNHCR FACES HERE WE HAVE OFFERED TO HAND OVER THE KAI TAK NORTH CAMP
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116,000)
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