TNAG-1277-FCO40-1627-Resettlement-of-Vietnamese-refugees-from-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 26

(5)

Updated Information From:

Security Branch

Mr. Leeks expressed the wish for a larger number of resettlement countries to take refugees from Hong Kong which has the largest number of boat ref- ugees in the region. He shared with members of the meeting information on comparative lengths of stay in various places of asylum. Of cases who have been in the various refugee centres for more than one year and who are not currently pending a decision with any particular resettlement country, 1,500 are in Manila, 197 in Tokyo, 480 in Bangkok, 520 in Jakarta, 1,015 in Kuala Lumpur and 6,018 in Hong Kong. He also informed the meet- ing that a new "closed" centre in Hei Ling Chau was opened last month with a capacity for 2,500 and which is currently housing 1,700 refugees, further adding that the design of this centre is better than Chi Ma Wan.

Immigration Department

Mr. Lok informed the meeting that compared with last year, we have had fewer arrivals during 1983. So far this month (November) there have been no arrivals.

I.C.M.

Ms. Young apologised for the absence of Mr. Kottek who is presently on a business trip in South East Asia.

She said that in the first 10 months of this year there has been a move- ment of 2,506 Vietnamese refugees from Hong Kong and I.C.M. hopes to achieve a total of 3,100 by the end of the year.

Discussions on Background Information:-

(a)

(b)

(c)

On Table 1, it was suggested that the Hei Ling Chau population should show how many unaccompanied single men there are in the old Hei Ling Chau centre and the number accommodated at the new quarters for families. Mr. Lok (Immigration) and Mr. Ho (UNHCR) explained that the 15 missing persons refer to those who disappeared prior to interviews by Immigration.

On Table II, the tapering off of arrivals this year was noted by the participants and among many other factors, the Orderly Departure Programme was specially credited with this trend. Mrs. Lasan com- mented that this is the first year that Hong Kong's arrival pattern has fallen in line with the rest of the region.

There were no comments on Tables IIB, III, IV, V, VI and VII.

(d) On Table VIII, Mrs. Lasan informed the meeting that the dossiers of

handicapped refugees made by ICM are still under consideration by UNHCR headquarters on a comparative basis. It appears, however, that other countries have more urgent handicapped cases.

(6) Any Other Matters

Mr. Cummings noted with alarm the reports of visiting U.S. senators and congressmen on Jubilee Transit Centre which suggests that centre manage- ment needs to carry out drastic improvements to the unhygienic ways of life, insanitary living environment and press insinuations of other prob- lems which certainly make it more difficult for visitors from resettlement countries to be sympathetic towards refugee resettlement. Mr. Meijer