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INTAKE FROM HONG KONG. THE CANADIANS HAVE BEEN LESS INSISTENT
ON THIS POINT: IN THEIR EVIDENCE TO SCORRI. THE CANADIAN HIGH
COMMISSION IN LNNDON SAID THAT THEIR INTAKE OF REFUGEES FROM H-NG
KONQ WAS UNLIKLY TO BE AFFECTED BY BRITISH ACCEPTANCE OF LARGER
NUMBERS (AND INDEED RECENTLY (IE BEFORE PUBLICATION OF THE WHITE
PAPER). THEY ANNOUNCED AN EXTRA QUOTA OF 500 RESETTLEMENT PLACES
FOR HONG KONG IN ADDITION TO THE 600 WHICH THEY HAD PREVIOUSLY
ALLOCATED TO HONG KONG FOR 1985). HOWEVER, BOTH CANADA AND
AUSTRALIA ARE MAJOR RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES. AND WE WOULD NOT WISH
TO LOSE THE OPPORTUNITY PRESENTED BY PUBLICATION OF THE WHITE
PAPER TO PUSH HONG KONG'S CASE WITH THEM.
4.
GRATEFUL IF YOU WOULD THEREFORE APPROACH CANADIAN AND
AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENTS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE AFTER PUBLICATION OF
THE WHITE PAPER, MAKING THE FOLLOWING POINTS:
(I)
(II)
(III)
(IV)
WE AND THE HKG ARE MOST GRATEFUL FOR ALL THAT YOU
GOVERNMENT HAVE DONE TO HELP HONG KONG IN RECENT YEARS:
WE ARE VERY CONSCIOUS THA+ VOUR OFFTAKE FROM HNNG KONG
EXCEEDS THAT OF MOST OTHER RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES.
AS YOU ARE AWARE. IT HAS BEEN DIFFICULT FOR US TO
INCREASE OUR OWN OFFTAKE OF REFUGEES FROM HONG KONG IN
RECENT YEARS, DESPITE OUR RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE
TERRITORY: INTEGRATION OF THE 19,000 VIETNAMESE REFUGEES
WHO HAVE ALREADY SETTLED IN THE UK HAS PROVED DIFFICULT.
(FOR CANBERRA ONLY: WE ARE HOWEVER AWARE THAT THE UK'S
LOW LEVEL OF RESETTLEMENT FROM HONG KONG HAS IN RECENT
YEARS MADE OTHER COUNTRIES RELUCTANT TO DO MORE TO HELP).
IN RESPONSE TO SCORRI'S RECOMMENDATION, HMG HAVE DECIDED
TO ACCEPT FOR RESETTLEMENT A FURTHER ESTIMATED 500 PLUS
VIETNAMESE REFUGEES ALL OF WHO HAVE RELATIVES IN THE UK
BUT WHO WOULD NOT QUALIFY FOR ADMISSION UNDER OUR NORMAL
CRITERIA. IT IS ESTIMATED THAT THERE ARE UP TO 490 IN
HONG KONG WHO MIGHT QUALIFY AND 60 IN OTHER COUNTRIES IN
SOUTH EAST ASIA.
SERIOUSLY CONCERNED ABOUT SITUATION IN CAMOS IN HONG KONG
AND POTENTIAL FOR DETERIORATION. LARGEST NUMBER OF
VIETNAMESE REFUGEES IN ANY COUNTRY NF FIRST ASYLUM. AS
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