TNAG-1273-FCO40-1623-Vietnamese-refugees-in-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 22

HOFO 020/23

HKCK 343/1

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY

· 1 JUN 1983

REGISTRY

T/L

FCO

DESK OFFICER

INDEX

PA

Action Taken

GPS..2000

CONFIDENTIAL

08577/23.

ホ

(64)

Ism

Aas weller fo

PA.

TELELETTER

FROM:

A.K. MASON, SECURITY BRANCH, HONG KONG

FILE NO: SCR 1/866/82 DATED 23 MAY 1983

FOLLOWING FOR: RICHARD HOARE, HKGD, FCO

MIP TELELETTER

VIETNAMESE REFUGEES IN HONG KONG

net of

Ex

eech

Cays.

PRESENT POSITION

THE VIETNAMESE REFUGEES POPULATION IN HONG KONG ON (13 MAY 1983) WAS (12,351), THE HIGHEST IN THE WHOLE SOUTH EAST ASIAN REGION, HAVING RISEN FROM JUST OVER 9,800 ONE YEAR AGO. (AT THE END OF

APRIL 1983) THE HONG KONG REFUGEE POPULATION WAS (12,302) OF THE REGIONAL CASELOAD OF (41,663). IN 1982, 19 PER CENT OF ALL THOSE LEAVING VIETNAM CAME TO HONG KONG, COMPARED WITH THE

AVERAGE OF 11 PER CENT IN THE PREVIOUS TWO YEARS. TO DISCOURAGE

THE EXODUS, THE (3,857) MOST RECENT ARRIVALS ARE IN CLOSED CENTRES

AS ALL FUTURE ARRIVALS WILL BE. WITH GREATLY REDUCED RESETTLEMENT

PROGRAMMES, THERE IS NO PROSPECT OF GETTING THE NUMBERS DOWN IN

THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE UNLESS A MAJOR NEW INITIATIVE IS TAKEN.