TNAG-1274-FCO40-1624-Vietnamese-refugees-in-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 99

CONFIDENTIAL

the facilities

Germans, Norwegians etc - and he wondered whether

it might be possible for the UK to use Bataan or at least run а

pilot project.

8. Mr Phillips explained that he was not directly involved with the

resettlement programme, but it seemed that the problems in the UK

stemmed chiefly from the difficulties of fitting into a different

resettlement context than that in the US. The UK had a primary burden of absorbing those with statutory entitlement to admission

especially from the sub-continent. Unemployment was consistently

worse for all ethnic minorities. The Government was committed to a

very low level of immigration for settlement. 1982 had been the

lowest since 1962 at some 54,000, of whom about 30,000 came from the

New Commonwealth and Pakistan.

9. Reverting to Hong Kong's problems, Mr Hoare agreed with Mr Funseth that because of resettlement problems it was necessary to look at ways of discouraging departures, but suggested that voluntary

repatriation was likely to have a limited impact on numbers in Hong

Kong. Mr Funseth agreed. The US accepted the primacy of return

as the best durable solution and maintained this publicly and in

their dealings with Vietnam. They had to accept that it was still

the least likely solution for boat-people, but felt that UNHCR must nevertheless maintain pressure on Hanoi. In this context they were

disappointed that Simmington's successor, Anvar, would no longer be based in the region. Nevertheless Mr Funseth believed that Thailand,

Malaysia and Indonesia accepted the idea that in the short-term a policy of minimal deterrence should be given priority and that during this period, resettlements should continue at about their present level, provided that they were not stuck forever with their existing case load of refugees. While the US had given no specific assurances to ASEAN that first-asylum countries would not get left with the

residue of refugees, he accepted that the US would have to take the

lead in dealing with those who had been denied admission to resettle-

ment countries''. Although repatriation of boat-people would be limited, the Northern Vietnamese in Hong Kong might be the most likely

to go back.

10. Turning to the question of candidates for the US in Vietnamese

re-education camps, Mr Funseth said that they had last year submitted

120 names of US citizens in re-education camps to Han Van Lau. Of

-1- CONFIDENT I AL

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