TNAG-0972-FCO40-1191-Vietnamese-refugees-in-Hong-Kong-1980 — Page 43

RESTRICTED GL (80

RESTRICTED

FM HONG KONG 300409Z JUN BØ

TO PRIORITY CANBERRA

TELEGRAM NUMBER 15 OF 30 JUNE

INFO F C O

MY TELNO 10 OF 16 MAY: VIETNAMESE REFUGEES

114√.243/4

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY NO. 51.

16 JUL 1980

DESK OFFICER

INDEX

صار

PA

67

SLOPY

REJSTRY

Awil

SIR JACK IS NOW IN SYDNEY AND WE HAVE ARRANGED FOR HIM TO RING YOU AND VOLKER TO SEE WHETHER IT WILL BE USEFUL FOR HIM TO

VISIT CANBERRA.

2. FOLLOWING IS A SITREP ON VIETNAMESE REFUGEE SITUATION HERE, GRATEFUL IF YOU COULD PASS TO SIR JACK.

VIETNAMESE REFUGEE POPULATION

AS AT 27.6.80

38,764

DEPARTURES 1.1.80 27.6.80

19,433

DEPARTURES TO AUSTRALIA 1.1.80

27.6.80

517 (OR 2.66% OF TOTAL)

ARRIVALS 1.1.80 27.6.80

2,623

3. HONG KONG STILL HAS ABOUT 45% OF ALL BOAT REFUGEES IN THE REGION. THE RESETTLEMENT RATE OF 46% FOR ALL THE OTHER PLACES OF FIRST ASYLUM HAS BEEN NEARLY TWICE AS HIGH AS HONG KONG'S 25%. THE SLOW RATE OF RESETTLEMENT MEANS THAT 36,000 (OR 92%) REFUGEES HAVE ALREADY SPENT MORE THAN 6 MONTHS HERE AND 1,100 MORE THAN 12 MONTHS.

4. ABOUT 16,000 ARE ESTIMATED TO LEAVE HONG KONG FOR RESETTLEMENT

IN THE SECOND HALF OF 1980. ASSUMING NO FURTHER INFLOW, HONG KONG WILL HAVE OVER 20,000 REFUGEES AWAITING RESETTLEMENT AT BEGINNING OF 1981 IN CONDITIONS WHICH WERE NEVER DESIGNED FOR OCCUPATION FOR SUCH A PROLONGED PERIOD.

5. AUSTRALIA'S OFFTAKE WAS 1,150 IN 1979/80 AND A SIMILAR QUOTA HAS BEEN ALLOCATED FOR 1980/81. WE WOULD HAVE LIKED IT TO BE LARGER.

MACLEHOSE

FILES HKQ D SEAD

Cofres

THIS TELEGRAM HONG KONG GONE OFFICE

WAS NOT

ADVANCED

LONDON

RESTRICTED