TNAG-1179-FCO40-1481-Resettlement-of-Vietnamese-refugees-from-Hong-Kong-into-the--1982 — Page 39

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4. WE AGAIN EXPRESSED OUR GRATITUDE FOR THE TREMENDOUS CONTRI-

BUTION AMERICA HAS MADE TOWARDS HONG KONG'S PARTICULAR REFUGEE

PROBLEM. WE NOTED THAT ONLY THE US WERE TAKING SIGNIFICANT

NUMBERS OF REFUGEES FROM HONG KONG. THE US CONSULATE-GENERAL

STAFF ASSESS THAT THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE STRICTER CRITERIA

WILL MEAN THAT ONLY 20 PER CENT TO 25 PER CENT OF LIKELY NEW

ARRIVALS WILL QUALIFY FOR THE US PROGRAMME. WE ALSO POINTED OUT

THAT WE SAW LITTLE PROSPECT OF ANY EARLY DIMINUTION OF THE RATE

OF ILLEGAL DEPARTURES FROM VIETNAM. (SEE DEREK TONKIN'S LETTER

OF 2 MARCH TO KEVIN BURNS)."

36.

5. AMBASSADOR VINE EXPRESSED SYMPATHY WITH HONG KONG'S PROBLEMS.

HE SAID HE HAD NOT APPRECIATED THAT SO FEW COUNTRIES HAD CURRENT

RESETTLEMENT QUOTAS IN RELATION TO HONG KONG. HE DID NOT

HOWEVER GO SO FAR AS TO SAY THIS MIGHT MEAN A RELAXATION TO ANY

EXTENT OF THE STRICTER CRITERIA. INDEED HE MADE IT CLEAR THAT

LITTLE SHORT OF A FURTHER MASSIVE OUTFLOW OF GENUINE REFUGEES

HKK 243 WOULD LEAD TO ANY RELAXATION.

243/201

(118) 86. WE OUTLINED THE OTHER OPTIONS IN PHILIP HADDON-CAVE'S

LETTER OF 2 DECEMBER TO ALAN DONALD. THE US WERE NOT (NOT)

ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT A REGIONAL HOLDING CENTRE BECAUSE WHICHEVER

COUNTRY PROVIDED THE LAND WOULD EXPECT GUARANTEES OF EVENTUAL

RESETTLEMENT. THESE THE US COULD NOT (NOT) GIVE. IN ANY CASE

SUCH GUARANTEES WOULD PROBABLY NOT REMAIN CONFIDENTIAL FOR LONG

AND THE DETERRENT EFFECT WOULD RAPIDLY BE LOST. AMBASSADOR VINE

EXPRESSED SOME INTEREST IN THE IDEA OF A CAMP IN CHINA (PARA 3

OF UKMIS GENEVA TELNO 71). THIS IDEA WAS MENTIONED TO US

INFORMALLY BY CASELLA. IT APPEARS TO BE GAINING SOME MOMENTUM

WITHIN UNHCR. WE ALSO DISCUSSED THE POSSIBILITY AND DIFFICULTIES

OF REPATRIATION EXCEPT WHERE PERSONS WERE RETURNED VOLUNTARILY.

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COMMENT.

7. THIS MEETING CONFIRMED OUR FEARS THAT THE ONLY MAJOR REMAINING

SOURCE OF RESETTLEMENT PLACES FOR VIETNAMESE REFUGEES TO WHOM

HONG KONG HAS AGREED TO GIVE TEMPORARY ASYLUM PENDING RESETTLE-

MENT WILL SHORTLY ALL BUT DRY UP. AS YOU MAY IMAGINE, THIS IS A

DISTURBING PROSPECT AND ONE WHICH IS CAUSING US TO REVIEW AGAIN

SOME OF THE OPTIONS MENTIONED IN PHILIP HADDON-CAVE'S LETTER

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