TNAG-0975-FCO40-1194-Resettlement-of-Vietnamese-refugees-from-Hong-Kong-in-other--1980 — Page 67

immediate issue in the context of states' international responsibility with regard to refugees. In 1977 the UNHCR Executive Committee established a Sub-Committee to study the subject in more detail. During 1979, the massive egress of "small boat" refugees from Vietnam resulted in large numbers being turned away from the shores of states of first asylum. Many died and the resultant international outery led to the Geneva Conference of July 1979 at which States pledged financial support and resettlement opportunities to ensure that refoulement on the former scale would not reoccur. The scale of the boat people problem has tended to overshadow the continuing existence of individual cases of refoulement which undoubtedly occur, for example, between Eastern and Western Europe and cross-borders in Africa.

b) UK Aspects of Protection:

Two successive Home Secretaries

have studied a review of refugee procedures undertaken- as a result of pressure by UNHCR and by the Standing Conference on Refugees (SCOR). Both have agreed that certain comparatively minor changes in United Kingdom procedure should be implemented. On the other hand, both have rominted

any further formalisation of existing procedures,

the establishment of an independent refugee recognition body or (c) the incorporation of the 1951 Convention and 1967 Protocol into domestic law.

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c) International aspects of protection: States party to the 1951 Convention and 1967 Protocol are bound by their obligations to observe the principle of non-refoulement. In Asia, only two states (Iran and Israel) have acceded to the Convention. It therefore follows that in the area where protection is presently most needed it is lacking. The rate of response to UNHCR's repeated requests for further accessions is tragically slow. Within the Council of Europe efforts are being made to lead by example. A draft Convention on the Transferability of Refugee ConcludedStatus has been produced and will shortly be open for signature ✔

Declarations on various issues affecting refugees have been made or are under consideration. The global failure of the 1977 UN Conference of Plenipotentiaries to consider a Convention on Territorial Asylum resulted in consideration of certain elements of asylum by a Council of Europe Committee of Experts. Committee currently has before it the subject of the country of first asylum. Resolution of this difficult subject will,

if achieved reduce the incidence (in Europe at least) of "refugees in orbit" a problem with which UNICR is particularly concerned.

d)

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UK record on anylum: By December 1979, the United Kingdom had received 5931 Vietnamese refugees for resettlement, principally from Hong Kong. All have been recognised as refugees under the 1951 Convention. Also in 1979 there were 1550 applications sur place of which 875 have been decided (and 56 withdrawn), 589 being recoguised as Convention refugees, 119 granted asylum without refugee status and 167 refused. Home Office Selection team has visited Malaysia und Thailand Conceal Hot Hong Kong (four times) between the July 1979 ALE They now in proc Marine the commander of the refury on th

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