TNAG-0899-FCO40-1109-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1979 — Page 46

Spking Note

RESETTLEMENT OF INEC-CHINESE REFUGEES FROM HONG KONG

During the last few months many countries have implemented resettlement programmes to relieve the burden of Indo-Chinese refugees on South East Asian countries. To a considerable extent Governments have sought the advice of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees before accepting refugees for resettlement. But, however

the resettlement statistics are interpreted, Hong Kong has fared

badly.

At the end of October 1979, the territory had 62,539 refugees of whom approximately 30,000 had spent more than five months in Hong Kong. The seriousness of the problem in Hong Kong is supported by recent statistics which indicate that, whereas 58.1% of the refugees who arrived in Malaysia as the place of first asylum during 1978 and 1979 have been resettled elsewhere, and 53.3% arriving in Thailand have been resettled, the corresponding figure for the Territory of Hong Kong is only 20.8%. Further details of the resettlement figures are given in the table (attached),

It is appreciated that countries accepting refugees for resettlement will wish to divide their programmes between land and boat cases. But the British Government would be particularly grateful if the Netherlands authorities - when considering the allocation of places for boat refugees would take into account the fact that Hong Kong's share of the refugee population rescued from or arriving by boat is now likely to approach 40%. It would be especially helpful to the British Government if the Netherlands authorities were able to consider

increasing their intake of refugees from Hong Kong when assessing future resettlement programmes.