TNAG-1273-FCO40-1623-Vietnamese-refugees-in-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 37

Our Ref : BRC

TONE KONE

Government Office

香港政府駐英辦事處

Mis wolle

Dr Martin Barber

Director

ра

VRJ.

The British Refugee Council

Bondway House

3/9 Bondway

London SW8 1SJ

17 May 1983 HKK 243/

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY

24 MAY 1953

DESK OFFICER INDEX

PA

Actiom. Taken

$F2415

We spoke at Ditchley some ten days ago concerning your letter of 18th April. I am very grateful indeed for your own and your Council's obvious interest in Vietnamese refugees in Hong Kong.

Helen YU keeps me well informed of discussions she attends at your Council's Asia Committee. I am therefore aware that you have repeatedly expressed concern, on behalf of the British Refugee Council, over the suggestion of the Hong Kong Government to consider the possibility of in- voluntary repatriation of Vietnamese arrivals.

As you know, Hong Kong has a proud record of not turning any Vietnamese refugee away. Sadly, resettlement has fallen drastically : from 37,468 in 1980 to 9,247 in 1982. Departures last year dropped from 1,838 in January to just 400 in December.

Resettlement prospect for the future is bleak. Only three countries regularly take Vietnamese refugees from Hong Kong--USA, Canada and Australia--totalling at most 3,000 this year or an average of some 250 a month. UK's stand on this is only too well known to you.

Meanwhile, Hong Kong continues to be the main target for Vietnamese arrivals. A year ago we had 9,800 in Hong Kong and now there are over 12,300 awaiting resettlement offers. The usual five-month arrival season (May to September) stretches before us and, as you know, the April arrivals at 549 were an alarming high. We continue to have by far the largest number of Vietnamese refugees in SE Asia.

.../ It

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