TNAG-1273-FCO40-1623-Vietnamese-refugees-in-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 25

7. LOCAL CRITICISM ALSO FOCUSES ON THE HIGH COSTS OF PROVIDING EVEN TEMPORARY ASYLUM. SINCE 1979 OUR POLICY OF ALLOWING VIETNAMESE

EFUGEES TO STAY TEMPORARILY HAS COST HKG US DOLLARS 61 MILLION

(EXCLUDING UNHCR AND VOLUNTARY AGENCIES' EXPENDITURE). THIS YEAR, BECAUSE OF THE HIGHER COSTS OF CLOSED CENTRES, HKG'S BILL WILL

BE US DOLLARS 18 MILLION.

OPTIONS OPEN TO HONG KONG

RESETTLEMENT

8. HONG KONG WILL CONTINUE TO PRESS POTENTIAL RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES AND THE UNHCR FOR MORE PLACES. THE ABSENCE OF A UK CREATES-PROBLEMS IN THIS RESPECT AND IT IS UNLIKELY THAT A SUB- STANTIAL NUMBER OF NEW PLACES WILL BE FOUND WITHOUT AN INTERNATIONAL INITIATIVE ON RESETTLEMENT. NEVERTHELESS, THE UNHCR HAS ADVISED THAT HKG SHOULD USE ITS LONDON, BRUSSELS, GENEVA AND NEW YORK OFFICES TO APPLY INCREASING PRESSURE ON RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES TO

INCREASE SUBSTANTIALLY THEIR OFF-TAKE FROM HONG KONG.

S.[THE ABSENCE OF A UK QUOTA BUT,

CLOSED CENTRES

9. IN AN ATTEMPT TO DETER REFUGEES FROM COMING TO HONG KONG, CLOSED CENTRES WERE INTRODUCED ON 2 JULY 1982. BUT THERE ARE FEW

INDICATIONS SO FAR THAT THE NEW POLICY IS DETERRING ANY SIGNIFICANT

NUMBER. AT THE FORECAST RATES OF ARRIVALS AND DEPARTURE, THERE WILL BE INSUFFICIENT ROOM IN THE CENTRES AFTER AUTUMN 1983, UNLESS NEW CENTRES ARE PROVIDED. THE CURRENT SMALL NUMBER OF DEPARTURES

TO RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES FROM THE CLOSED CENTRES (ONLY 478 HAVE BEEN ACCEPTED OUT OF THE 4,209 WHO HAVE ARRIVED SINCE 2 JULY 1982) MAY WELL LEAD TO TROUBLE IN THE CENTRES, AS THE OCCUPANTS FIND

THEMSELVES FACED WITH INDEFINITE [INCARCERATION.

MULTILATERAL APPROACH TO VIETNAM

CONFIA in

10. IN VIEW OF THE SERIOUS PROBLEMS THAT HONG KONG CONTINUES TO FACE, HMG HAS DECIDED TO EXPLORE THE POSSIBILITY OF A MULTILATERAL APPROACH TO THE VIETNAMESE AIMED AT REDUCING THE OUTFLOW FROM

VIETNAM AND IMPROVING THE RATE OF DEPARTURE UNDER THE ORDERLY DEPARTURE PROGRAMME. IN ADDITION RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES WILL AGAIN

BE URGED TO TAKE MORE REFUGEES FROM HONG KONG. APPROACHES ARE BEING MADE TO WASHINGTON, OTTAWA, CANBERRA AND PARIS, AND SEPARATELY TO UNHCR HQ IN GENEVA. [IF NONE OF THESE NEW INITIATIVES SUCCEED, A VERY DISTURBING SITUATION WILL HAVE BEEN REACHED.]

Our UK

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