TNAG-1419-FCO40-1902-Hong-Kong-Parliamentary-Sub-Committee-on-Race-Relations-and--1985 — Page 21

CONFIDENTIAL

•

1

11069 - 1

WERE 39 PER CENT DOWN ON 1983 FIGURES, COMPARED WITH A DECREASE

OF 11 PER CENT IN THE SOUTH EAST ASIAN REGION AS A WHOLE.

HOWEVER THERE ARE STILL SOME 10,500 VIETNAMESE REFUGEES IN HONG

KONG AWAITING RESETTLEMENT, THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF ANY PLACE OF

FIRST ASYLUM IN SOUTH EAST ASIA.

•

10. IN APRIL 1985 THE SCORRI PUBLISHED A REPORT ENTITLED

'REFUGEES AND ASYLUM WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO THE VIETNAMESE'

THE REPORT INCLUDES EVIDENCE BY FCO AND HOME OFFICE MINISTERS.

IT RECOMMENDS THAT THE UK SHOULD RELAX ITS IMMIGRATION CRITERIA

FOR FAMILY REUNION CASES IN CAMPS IN COUNTRIES OF TEMPORARY

ASYLUM: THAT THE CLOSED CAMPS IN HONG KONG SHOULD BE ABOLISHED:

THAT A UK INITIATIVE SHOULD BE USED TO ATTRACT OFFERS OF

ADDITIONAL RESETTLEMENT PLACES FROM OTHER COUNTRIES: THAT IF

NECESSARY, AND AS PART OF A BURDEN-SHARING AGREEMENT, THE UK

SHOULD ACCEPT A SMALL SHARE OF THOSE WHO ARE HARD TO SETTLE AND

HAVE SPENT YEARS IN CAMPS: AND THAT HONG KONG SHOULD ACCEPT FOR

SETTLEMENT A PROPORTION OF ETHNIC CHINESE FROM ITS OPEN CAMPS.

11. ON 26 SEPTEMBER, THE GOVERNMENT WILL PUBLISH A WHITE PAPER IN

RESPONSE TO THE REPORT. THE RESPONSES TO THE MAIN

RECOMMENDATIONS RELATING TO HONG KONG ARE SUMMARISED IN

PARAGRAPHS 2, 3, 4 AND 6 ABOVE.

12.

RESETTLMENT OUTSIDE THE SOUTH EAST ASIAN REGION IS AT

PRESENT THE ONLY REALISTIC OPTION FOR THE MAJORITY OF THE

REFUGEES CURRENTLY RESIDING IN HONG KONG'S CAMPS. VOLUNTARY

REPATRIATION, CONSIDERED BY UNHCR TO BE THE MOST DESIRABLE LONG-

TERM SOLUTION FOR REFUGEES, IS NOT FEASIBLE BECAUSE OF THE LACK

OF VOLUNTEERS FROM THE CAMPS IN HONG KONG. INVOLUNTARY

REPATRIATION WOULD AT PRESENT BE IMPRACTICAL AND ANYWAY

POLITICALLY UNACCEPTABLE. RESETTLEMENT IN OTHER COUNTRIES OF THE

REGION, ALSO FAVOURED BY UNHCR, HAS NOT BEEN POSSIBLE BECAUSE THE

COUNTRIES CONCERNED HAVE MADE IT CLEAR THAT THEY ARE NOT PREPARED

TO ACCEPT ANY ADDITIONAL BURDEN.

BACKGROUND (NOT FOR USE)

13. A SERIOUS DIFFICULTY IN PERSUADING OTHER COUNTRIES TO TAKE

MORE REFUGEES FROM HONG KONG HAS BEEN THAT THE UK HAS IN RECENT

YEARS TAKEN SO FEW FROM THE TERRITORY (88 IN 1984: 5 SO FAR IN

4

CONFIDENTIAL