TNAG-1417-FCO40-1900-Hong-Kong-Parliamentary-Sub-Committee-on-Race-Relations-and--1985 — Page 108

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(i) The possibility of resettling some Vietnamese within Hong Kong

itself

ANSWER: I would be misleading the Committee if I gave any

impression that this is a realistic possibility. I must state

firmly that in my view it is not. Hong Kong has absorbed over 14,000* displaced persons from Indo-China since 1975. It is one of the most densely populated places in the world, and annually absorbs large numbers of immigrants from China. Hong Kong people would strongly resent further settlement of Vietnamese persons, when

illegal Chinese immigrants, with whom they have closer ties, are being repatriated daily. 230,000 have been repatriated since 1980.

It would be very hard to convince them that Vietnamese should be

treated as a special case and absorbed in larger numbers than the present immigration criteria allow. I need hardly remind you that as a place of first asylum, Hong Kong has already devoted substantial resources to giving shelter to over 100,000 Vietnamese

refugees since 1975. This is an admirable record.

Statistics:

Breakdown of displaced Indo-Chinese absorbed by Hong Kong:

9026 persons temporarily or illegally resident in Hong Kong

in 1975 (mainly Vietnamese, but some Khmer and Lao)

4782

Vietnamese brought from Ho Chi Minh City to Hong Kong

by chartered flights between 1976-1979.

464 boat people from Hong Kong camps and other places of

first asylum.

TOTAL: 14272

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