TNAG-1419-FCO40-1902-Hong-Kong-Parliamentary-Sub-Committee-on-Race-Relations-and--1985 — Page 180

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COMMITTEE'S RECOMMENDATION THAT THE CLOSED CAMP POLICY BE ENDED.

CIRCUMSTANCES IN WHICH THE FCO WOULD WITHDRAW SANCTION FROM

CLOSED CAMP POLICY

5. IT HAS NEVER BEEN EITHER HMG'S OR THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT'S

INTENTION THAT THE CLOSED CAMPS SHOULD BE A PERMANENT FEATURE OF

HONG KONG'S REFUGEE POLICY. THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT HAVE ALWAYS

MADE CLEAR THAT THE POLICY IS A TEMPORARY MEASURE: IF THE FLOW OF

ILLEGAL DEPARTURES FROM VIETNAM WERE TO BE REDUCED TO A TRICKLE,

SUCH DETERRENT MEASURES WOULD NO LONGER BE NECESSARY. THE SOONER

THIS HAPPENS THE BETTER PLEASED HMG AND HONG KONG WILL BE.

HOWEVER THE FACTORS WHICH DETERMINE THE RATE OF DEPARTURES ARE

BEYOND THE CONTROL OF HER MAJESTY'S GOVERNMENT OR THE HONG KONG

GOVERNMENT, AND DEPEND ON DEVELOPMENTS WITHIN VIETNAM. THIS IS

THE ROOT OF THE PROBLEM. AS LONG AS THE SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC

CONDITIONS IMPOSED BY THE HANOI GOVERNMENT MAKE LIFE WITHIN

VIETNAM INTOLERABLE FOR LARGE NUMBERS OF PEOPLE, THEY WILL

CONTINUE TO BE ATTRACTED BY THE PROSPECT OF LIFE IN THE WEST.

WITHOUT SOME POLICY OF DETERRENCE, HONG KONG WILL CONTINUE TO BE

VIEWED AS A CONVENIENT GATEWAY TO THE WEST: OR, IF THE WEST WILL

NOT TAKE THEM, AS A RESETTLEMENT GOAL IN ITSELF. ENDS

HOWE

UNQUOTE

YOUNG

YYYY

OCMIAN 3871

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