TNAG-1392-FCO40-1864-Future-of-Hong-Kong-briefing-for-meetings-and-visits-1985 — Page 231

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treatment of

those

situation in the

returned,

but

camp s

avenue

for

reducing

the

stronger

if

we were

us in Hong Kong obliges

problem.

then doing all

to

(Our defence

we could

to

take

that the seriousness of the

would be all the

refugees for

explore every

resettlement in the UK).

16. Improved Training Facilities

Any

scheme

which makes refugees more

countries

is obviously useful.

Much

respect,

and

to

provide

with

the Hong Kong Government

refugees

are

to acceptable

is already being done

considering further

resettlement

in this

means

appropriate

skills.

They

should be

encouraged

to

pursue

this

question vigorously with

would fit in well with the SCORRI recommendations.

UNHCR.

This

Resálmuntany

18 April 1985

A C Galsworthy

Hong Kong Department

1. This is an appalling problem. It will not simply go away.

We therefore have to face some hard decisions.

2. I agree broadly with the Department's recommendations. Although there will doubtless be a difficult argument with the Home Office, the recommendation on increasing the UK intake and then using this to persuade other countries to take more is uncontroversial. The SCORRI Report gives us just the sort of starting point we needed. Also uncontroversial are the recommendations made about improved training and the possible use of the processing centre at Bataan.

3.

Clearly the decision on whether to talk to the Vietnamese about possible involuntary repatriation is much harder. We should anticipate considerable criticism in Parliament and elsewhere if news of such discussions leaked. We must, I think, assume that they would leak. Nevertheless, I think this is now an approach we must attempt. It

/would

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