TNAG-1273-FCO40-1623-Vietnamese-refugees-in-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 183

}

deal with it.

CONFIDENTIAL

-8-

(c)

12.

Involuntary repatriation

The most effective solution in these changing

circumstances would be to repatriate all future arrivals.

This would be consistent with the fact that they are no

longer really refugees (paragraph 5(a) above); and

consistent with the present,attitudes of resettlement

countries.

13.

UNHCR will dislike it. Deputy Commissioner, UNHCR,

in his recent visit to HK, while admitting the economic

pull of HK and the lengths Vietnamese are prepared to

go to get out of Vietnam, twisted himself in knots to

try to keep this fact from leading to repatriation

(e.g. no difference between political and economic

refugees).

14.

HMG will dislike it. When we have raised with

the FCO in the past the possibility of involuntary

repatriation we have been told that it is a non-starter

for a number of reasons. These include the fact that

the UNHCR and the free world generally regard them as

refugees. With the new attitude of resettlement countries

we may find this attitude has softened.

If it hasn't

then the possibility of repatriation may cause them

to be more liberal over resettlement.

--15.

The Vietnamese will be difficult. The FCO has

CONFIDENTIAL