TNAG-0897-FCO40-1107-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1979 — Page 227

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Pecord of Meeting betweets

and APA on 3 October

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Vietnamese Refugees resettled in China

Mr Tan Collied at my request and was accomy_nied by Miss Guan Huiping, as more vakar. I passed Mr Tan reports (copies attached) on two further boats bringing refugce: who had been settled in China (14 902 and LM 904), tuperher with name-lists for six hoats (18 874, 97, 975, 206, 904 and £10). I added that no refuyve veascia from either north or south had reached Hong Kong from 15 September to the end of the mouth, although a boat from Southem Vietnam had arrived on 1 October. Although bad veetnor was parkly responsible for the lub in arrivals, in so far as measures taken by the Chinese authorities hat helped extremely grateful. Mir Tan confirmed that very strict instructions had gone to local officials to stop boate leaving for Hong Kong, (I subsequently told Mr Tan on 4 October that a boat with 12y refugees had arrived the day before which looked as if it had perhaps come from Pinysha or Beihai. I would send rim a report as soon as possile.)

2.

We were

I told Mr Tan we vore reen to pave further groups repatriated, emphasising the semurity prcbusme we had with the large marbers involved now that they suspected they might be returned. Mr Tan said he did not ye have dates for a further group, out indiceted that he say no difficulty in principle. the detailed information on the former place of setilement provided on the name-lists preprmed by Immigration Department were extremely helpful.

Illegal Immigration

3.

I gave Mr Tan the Scptemver figures for illegals repatriated (5,339), together with a graph showing repatri- ation mumbers since November 1974 and maps giving the numbers arrested by sector in Hong Kong for 23 to 30 September and for the whole of September. I pointed cut the discrepancy between the September "rest figure (5,394) and the number repatriated was due to the fact that some arvelis subsequently turned out to be Hong Kong residents and rhere was often a delay in returning those arrested, especially when numbers were high or when some hospital treatment vas required.

Note.. This is a point to watch: When numbers are high any discrepancies between arrest and repatriation figures can be glossed over, but over a longer period or with smaller munners, it will be best only to pass to the NONA - and to use publicly the repatriation figures.

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