TNAG-1069-FCO40-1319-Resettlement-of-Vietnamese-refugees-from-Hong-Kong-in-the-UK-1981 — Page 47

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00 HONG KONG DESKBY 05010OZ

GRS 499

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DESKBY 050100Z

FM FCO 041645Z DECEMBER 81

TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG

TELEGRAM NUMBER 922 OF 4 DECEMBER

PQ:

VIETNAMESE REFUGEES

WISK UMANE INDEX

FA

No

८६८

8/12

1. SIR ANTHONY ROYLE HAS PUT DOWN THE FOLLOWING ORAL PQ:

TO ASK THE LORD PRIVY SEAL WHAT ACTION HER MAJESTY'S GOVERNMENT

IS TAKING IN THE INTERNATIONAL FIELD TO ASSIST HONG KONG IN

RESETTLING THE 14,000 VIETNAMESE REFUGEES WHO ARE STILL LOOKED

AFTER BY THE HONG KONG AUTHORITIES.

2. WE PROPOSE THE FOLLOWING REPLY:

WE CONTINUE TO REPRESENT HONG KONG'S CASE TO THIRD COUNTRIES AND

TO INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATIONS. SOME 80,000 HAVE BEEN RESETTLED FROM HONG KONG SINCE 1976.

3. THE QUESTION MAY BE REACHED.

WE PROPOSE THE FOLLOWING SUPPLEMENTARIES:

UK QUOTA:

THE QUOTA OF 10,000 VIETNAMESE REFUGEES HMG AGREED TO ACCEPT IN

JULY 1979 IS ALMOST USED UP. (IF PRESSED) I CANNOT HOLD OUT

ANY HOPE OF AN ADDITIONAL QUOTA AT THIS TIME.

PERFORMANCE OF OTHER RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES:

SINCE THE GENEVA CONFERENCE, THE US HAS TAKEN ABOUT 45,000 VIETNAMESE REFUGEES FROM HONG KONG AND CANADA ABOUT 12,000.

UNHCR'S ROLE:

THE UNHCR MEETS THE CURRENT COST OF MAINTAINING THE REFUGEES AND

THE MAJORITY OF THE CAMPS FOR THEM IN HONG KONG. IT IS

RESPONSIBLE FOR ARRANGING THEIR RESETTLEMENT. MORE

THAN 17,000 HAVE BEEN SETTLED SO FAR THIS YEAR.

EX-CHINA REFUGEES:

Taken

14014/12

See (115

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