TNAG-1392-FCO40-1864-Future-of-Hong-Kong-briefing-for-meetings-and-visits-1985 — Page 220

ANNEX B

EXTRACT FROM FCO MEMORANDUM TO SCORRI

ON WHETHER THE EFFECT OF ADMITTING TO BRITAIN EVEN A SMALL NUMBER

OF VIETNAMESE FROM THE CAMPS IN HONG KONG WOULD BE TO ENCOURAGE

OTHER COUNTRIES TO TAKE LARGER NUMBERS FROM THOSE CAMPS

1.

There is the following evidence that the lack of a further UK

quota for resettlement of Vietnamese refugees from Hong Kong

provides a pretext for other governments to direct their main

resettlement effort towards those places of first asylum where their

own direct political interests are greater.

a)

Comparative resettlement statistics

a wide disparity between the

from Hong Kong and the

The following table shows that there is

number of Vietnamese refugees resettled

number resettled from other places of first asylum, in proportion to

their total refugee populations:

HONG KONG

MALAYSIA

INDONESIA

THAILAND

PHILIPPINES

SINGAPORE

POPULATION OF VIETNAMESE

REFUGEES AWAITING RESETTLEMENT

ON 1 JANUARY 1984

DEPARTURES TO COUNTRIES

OF RESETTLEMENT

JAN-AUG 1984

12,770

10,077

}

6,036

8,057

2,236

3

286

1,940

7,165

4,475

4.646

1,455

9

422

I t

comes low on the list

is clear from these figures that Hong Kong

of priorities of the main resettlement countries.

b)

Statements by officials of

resettlement countries and

of

the

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees

Australia

i)

An Australian Department of Immigration and Ethnic Affairs official told the Hong Kong representative to the 1983 Executive

the Australians Committee meeting of the UNHCR that

would

their quota of refugees from Hong Kong until HMG took more,

not

raise

and

/advised