TNAG-0900-FCO40-1110-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1979 — Page 10

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Front of file

HKF2H3/1

SECRETARY OF STATE FOR TRADE: MEETING WITH SIR LAWRENCE KADOORIE ON 1 AUGUST 1979

VIETNAMESE REFUGEES IN HONG KONG

ESSENTIAL FACTS

HONG KONG GOVERNMENT POLICY

1.

Currently Hong Kong Government policy is:

(i) To accept for permanent settlement:

(a) those who are spouses, dependent children or dependent

elderly parents of people who were already permanent

residents of the Territory before 1975;

(b) those who are picked up at sea by Hong Kong registered

vessels;

(ii) To provide temporary shelter, pending resettlement else-

where by UNHCR, to:

(a) those who arrive in Hong Kong in their own boats;

(b) those who are rescued at sea by vessels for whom Hong

Kong is the next scheduled port of call. However, the

Hong Kong Government have now said (but have not

announced publicly) that they can no longer automati-

cally apply the first port of call principle in view

of the present overcrowding in Hong Kong; each case

will have to be considered on its merits.

PRESENT SITUATION IN HONG KONG

2. Numbers

(a) 11,000 former residents of Vietnam (plus a further 2,500

Laotians and Cambodians) have been accepted for permanent

settlement in Hong Kong since 1975.

(b) On 31 July, there were 66,663 Vietnamese refugees temporarily

in Hong Kong awaiting resettlement.

Accommodation for them in

/Hong Kong

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