TNAG-1419-FCO40-1902-Hong-Kong-Parliamentary-Sub-Committee-on-Race-Relations-and--1985 — Page 134

Hong Kong, to EC and other

Europe an countries, and also to

potential resettlement countries in the Commonwealth. On a

multilateral basis, HMG is very ready to accept UNHCR's offer to

their services to secure additional contributions from other

use

countries.

3.

HMG and the HKG share the Committee's desire to see the

number of long-stayers in Hong Kong reduced. Many of these

refugees have been rejected for resettlement on more than one

occasion, and it is not easy

to persuade resettlement countries

However we shall continue to try

to look again at their cases.

to persuade other countries to include long-stayers among the

numbers they accept.

(iv) Hong Kong should accept

for

settlement a proportion of

the ethnic Chinese in its open camps

The Committee has recognised the enormous amount that

Hong Kong has done and continues to do for Vietname se

refugees arriving in the territory. The Committee has also recognised that Hong Kong, although immensely crowded and facing its own immigration pressures from China, has already

absorbed s ome 14,500 Indo-Chinese since 1975.

Nevertheless

in the light of the Committee's recommendation the Hong Kong

Government has reviewed its position on the possibility of

further resettlement in the territory. The Hong Kong

that it would be prepared to

resettlement in Hong Kong a limited

Government has concluded

consider accepting for

number of ethnic Chinese if the

the resettlement formed part of

a

package aimed at reducing drastically

Kong's

Vietname se

the size of Hong

refugee population and resettling

those whose stay in camps has been prolonged.

all