TNAG-1155-FCO40-1435-Visits-by-Members-of-Parliament-(MPs)-to-Hong-Kong-1982 — Page 181

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be well above the acceptable level, and remains a cause for concern. The Chinese have recently agreed to set up arrangements for those

with two-way permits who overstay in Hong Kong to be returned to

China; negotiations are in hand to limit further the number of

immigrants with only exit permits from China.

VIETNAMESE REFUGEES

5.12 Since 1975, refugees from Vietnam have been arriving by boat in Hong Kong. In 1979 the influx reached its peak, with over 66,000 refugees arriving in Hong Kong during the first 7 months of the year. Numbers fell sharply after the Geneva Conference on Refugees and Displaced Persons in South-East Asia in July 1979, but arrivals

since have still been substantial. All refugees arriving in small

boats (as opposed to those picked up by vessels belonging to third countries) are given asylum in Hong Kong, and accommodated in camps to await resettlement in third countries. Between 1975 and March

1982 a total of 97,042 refugees arrived in Hong Kong, and 90,889 were resettled elsewhere, of whom over 50,000 went to the USA, and

over 11,000 to the UK. In addition, about 15,000 refugees and displaced persons from Indo-China have been accepted for permanent settlement in Hong Kong since April 1975.

5.13 Recently, however, the rate of resettlement has been slowing down and the number of refugees in Hong Kong has increased. There

are at present over 13,000 Vietnamese refugees in Hong Kong awaiting resettlement. In consequence the Hong Kong Government have since July 1982 interned new arrivals in closed camps, in the hope that this will have a deterrent effect on those thinking of leaving Vietnam illegally. (Previously, refugees were given accommodation

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