TNAG-0972-FCO40-1191-Vietnamese-refugees-in-Hong-Kong-1980 — Page 36

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Present:

The Governor

P.A. P.S./GH

Mr Baldwin (2717

READ (M. Still)

ithsh Dypt

миз

LUNA MALINEN

Notes of Meeting held at Government House

on Wednesday, 2nd July 1980

Also at HK/Canada Trade.

Vietnamese Refugees

HKK 243/4

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY NO. 51

tary

Dr the Hon Mark MacGuigal 3U 1980 da

of State for External Affairs

DESK OFFICER

REGISTRY Action Taker

Mr W T Warden, Commissioner for Canada

TA

Mr Alan Sullivan, Senior Departmental h

Assistant to S for S

Mr Thomas Delworth, Director General of Asia Pacific Affairs Bureau

72

The Governor welcomed Dr MacGuigan to Hong Kong and thanked him for the enormous help given by Canada in the

In answer to a query resettlement of refugees from Vietnam. from the Governor Dr MacGuigan said that the resettlement programme within Canada was proceeding satisfactorily but that a high rate of unemployment, currently over 8%, made a further substantial Government sponsorship politically unattractive. Many of the refugees had had difficulty in adapting to a new language and there was a danger of ghetto communities develop- ing. He added that sponsorship by voluntary agencies might

be possible.

2.

The Governor acknowledged that Hong Kong's problems were overshadowed by those of Thailand, but of all countries of first asylum for boat refugees, Hong Kong now had the most (39,000) and the slowest offtake. He thought that Hong Kong's policy of letting refugees work and live a normal life made both host countries and UNHCR favour other countries at Hong Kong's expense. Full employment had enabled the labour market to absorb them so far, but increased arrivals due to change in wind direction, coupled with the developing downturn in the economy, would turn local feelings against the refugees, and provoke criticism of the slow rate of off-take.

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CONFIDENTIAL

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