TNAG-1392-FCO40-1864-Future-of-Hong-Kong-briefing-for-meetings-and-visits-1985 — Page 208

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increased

(although in 1984 the proportion

slightly declined).

Resettlement countries are reluctant to accept that Northerners are true refugees fleeing from political oppression when, unlike those from the South, they have lived under communist rule for 30 years. They regard them instead as "economic migrants" who are simply in

search of a better future.

Immigration Department have

since early 1983 have left

only 26% have done SO for political reasons. (The remaining 20%

have left for other reasons, eg to seek family reunion). However,

whatever the initial reason for departure, as long as the Vietnamese refuse to take them back, there is little option in practice but to

continue to treat "economic migrants" as refugees, which is

consistent with the understanding reached during the 1979 Geneva

Conference, even though they may be subject to neither ethnic nor

political persecution.

Surveys conducted by the Hong Kong

indeed shown that 54% of new arrivals

Vietnam for economic reasons, whereas

(FOOTNOTE)

status of refugees defines

CU

a

The 1951 Convention relating to the

refugee as any person who "owing to well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of

a particular social group or political opinion, is outside the

country of his nationality and is unable or, owing to such fear, is

unwilling to avail himself of the protection of that country; or

who, not having a nationality and being outside the country of his

former habitual residence as a result of such events,

owing to such fear, is unwilling to return to it".

is unable or,

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