TNAG-1069-FCO40-1319-Resettlement-of-Vietnamese-refugees-from-Hong-Kong-in-the-UK-1981 — Page 68

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RECEIVED IN REGISTRY NO. 51

FM HONG KONG 050749Z NOV 81

TO IMMEDIATE F C G

DESK OFFICER

TELEGRAM NUMBER 1000 OF 5 NOVEMBER

བ་གནས

INDEX

INFO PRIORITY HANGI

Geneva.

196

No

PA CAE

10/h

Action T

* AI LEKTOR ZARNUN IN

PGO lolu

5/11 Plo

YOUR TELEGRAM NO. 847: VIETNAMESE UNACCOMPANIED MINORS

copied to

97

LPS Pho 6/4

1. THE THREE CHILDREN IN QUESTION CLAIMED ON ARRIVAL IN HONG KONG THAT THEY WERE ASLEEP ON THE BOAT WHEN IT SET SAIL FROM VIETNAM. ON THE BASIS OF A DISTANT RELATIVE IN THE USA, THEY EXPRESSED INTEREST IN RESETTLEMENT THERE. THE INS REPRESENTATIVE IN HONG KONG

DETERMINED THAT THE MINORS HAD NOT (UNDERLINED) LEFT VIETNAM VOLUNTARILY AND THAT THEY WOULD BE CONSIDERED FOR RESETTLEMENT UNDER HUMANITARIAN PAROLE RATHER THAN REFUGEE OR FAMILY REUNION PROCEDURES. THE PRE-CONDITION WAS THAT UNHCR ESTABLISHED THAT IT WILL BE IMPOSSIBLE FOR THE CHILDREN TO BE REUNITED WITH THEIR PARENTS IN VIETNAM. FROM THE BEGINNING, THEREFORE, ALL CONCERNED WITH THIS CASE INCLUDING MISS CAMPBELL WERE AWARE OF THE NEED TO ASK THE VIETNAMESE AUTHORITIES WHETHER THE CHILDREN COULD BE SENT BACK TO VIETNAM TO BE REUNITED WITH THEIR PARENTS. VOLUNTARY REFATRIATION IS, IN ANY CASE, UNHCR'S PREFERRED SOLUTION FOR UNACCOMPANIED MINORS. ALL CONCERNED EXPECTED THE VIETNAMESE TO REFUSE TO ACCEPT THE CHILDREN. THE VIETNAMESE HAVE TAKEN ALMOST TWO YEARS TO DECIDE AND HAVE AGREED TO TAKE THE CHILDREN BACK. NEWS OF THIS DECISION REACHED UNHCR IN HONG KONG ONLY LAST WEEK. THE CHILDREN, PARTLY AS A RESULT OF TWO YEARS LIVING IN HONG KONG,

ARE MOST UNLIKELY TO AGREE TO RETURN. THEY MAY REFUSE TO BOARD THE PLANE (THEY HAVE NOT YET BEEN TOLD OF THE PROPOSAL TO RETURN THEM TO VIETNAM). UNHCR COULD NOT FORCE THEM TO BOARD THE PLANE.

2. AGAINST THIS BACKGROUND, WE ARE FACED WITH THE FOLLOWING CHOICES:

(A) IF THEY REFUSE TO BOARD THE PLANE, ALLOW THEM TO STAY IN HONG KONG WITH A VIEW TO HAVING THEM RESETTLE IN THE U.K. (THIS ASSUMES THAT THE YMCA'S OFFERS OF ASSISTANCE MEAN THAT THEY ARE PREPARED TO SECURE HOME OFFICE AGREEMENT TO SUCH AN EXCEPTIONAL MEASURE). THE DISADVANTAGES OF SUCH A COURSE OF ACTION

ARE AS FOLLOWS:-

See 98.

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