>
As there
each day. Although the rate of new arrivals has fallen
considerably since the Vietnamese moratorium and the Geneva
Conference in July, the rate of resettlement in other countries
is disappointingly slow. Since 1 January 1979 a total of over
73,000 Vietnamese boat refugees had arrived in Hong Kong up to
18 September, but less than 10,000 had been resettled.
were already 5,000 at the beginning of the year, the total now
in Hong Kong is over 68,000. 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. Since the rate of inflow
into the Territory still continues at a relatively high level
(about 3,000 a month) and resettlement is so slow, the net
decrease in Hong Kong's refugee population by the end of the
year will be minimal. That is to say, Hong Kong will still have
more boat refugees than any other first asylum country.
4.
For their part, and at the suggestion of UNHCR, HMG
announced on 18 July that a further 10,000 Vietnamese refugees
from Hong Kong would be provided permanent resettlement in the
UK. This is in addition to the 4,600 Vietnamese refugees that
we had previously agreed to accept from Hong Kong and other
places of first asylum in South East Asia.
5. Relations between the Hong Kong Government and the UNHCR
are excellent. In August, agreement was reached between the
Hong Kong Government and UNHCR that the latter would meet the
basic care and maintenance costs of all refugees in Hong Kong
from 1 September 1979 onwards. The Hong Kong Government
appreciates the value of the support given through the four
refugee camps for which UNHCR is responsible. The Hong Kong
Government recognises that local UNHCR representatives
doing all they can to speed up onward movement of refugees from
Hong Kong and that delays in their permanent resettlement is no
reflection on the efforts of UNHCR
are
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