TNAG-1275-FCO40-1625-Resettlement-of-Vietnamese-refugees-from-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 139

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CONFIDENTIAL

BACKGROUND

1.

This PQ follows one that Mr Arnold asked on 14 March.

2. Our policy is to accept the general view that boat-people

should be treated as refugees and to support the United Nations

High Commission for Refugees' leading role in supervising

their asylum in countries of the region and promoting their

eventual resettlement elsewhere. At the Conference on boat

refugees in 1979 it was agreed that regional states (such as

Hong Kong) would provide first asylum and not be expected to

provide permanent homes for the refugees who would eventually

be resettled elsewhere. Although there are serious problems

thrown up by the continuing, if much diminished, outflow of

boat-people this general arrangement for the moment remains

in place and is the basis for our current policy.

3. However, resettlement countries are now rejecting many

boat-people as having been driven by economic rather than

political motives. Resettlement opportunities are thus

diminishing. For this reason consideration is being given to

Hong Kong's recommendation that we explore the possibility

of arranging the repatriation to Vietnam of future arrivals

of boat-people in the territory. Repatriation would, of course,

only be considered if the Vietnamese Government offered

satisfactory assurances concerning the treatment of any

repatriates.

4. The draft answer has been cleared with SEAD and Hong Kong.

Hong Kong and General Department

CONFIDENTIAL

18 March 1983