CONFIDENTIAL
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(III)
(IV)
(V)
10960 -
REFUGEES WHO HAVE ALREADY SETTLED IN THE UK HAS PROVED
DIFFICULT. 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 WHOM HAVE RELATIVES IN THE UK BUT WHO DO 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
S.E. ASIA.
AS
SERIOUSLY CONCERNED ABOUT SITUATION IN CAMPS IN HONG KONG
AND POTENTIAL FOR DETERIORATION. LARGEST NUMBER OF
VIETNAMESE REFUGEES IN ANY COUNTRY OF FIRST ASYLUM.
SCALE OF GENERAL PROBLEM HAS DECREASED SO TOO HAVE
EFFORTS OF RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES. HONG KONG'S SHARE OF
US REGIONAL RESETTLEMENT OF VIETNAMESE REFUGEES HAS BEEN
DECREASING SIGNIFICANTLY (FROM 18 PER CENT IN 1982 TO 7 PER CENT IN 1983 AND 4 PER CENT IN 1984). ALTHOUGH HONG
KONG HAS THE GREATEST NUMBER OF VIETNAMESE IN THE REGION,
RESETTLEMENT FROM THE TERRITORY IN 1984 WAS CONSIDERABLY
LESS THAN FROM OTHER COUNTRIES (3,694 COMPARED WITH 10,460 (MALAYSIA), 6,901 (INDONESIA) AND 6,659
(THAILAND). INEVITABLE RESULT IS A FAR LONGER STAY IN
HONG KONG'S TEMPORARY TRANSIT CENTRES. THIS MUST BE
UNDESIRABLE IN TERMS OF POTENTIAL LONG TERM EFFECT ON
REFUGEES: INCREASED RISKS OF ULTIMATE DISORDER IN THE
CAMPS ALSO MATTER OF SERIOUS CONCERN FOR HMG.
WE HOPE THAT US WILL RESPOND TO INITIATIVE BY TAKING FROM
HONG KONG WHATEVER ADDITIONAL NUMBERS THEY CAN MANAGE.
ALSO APPROACHING OTHER RESETTLMENT AND POTENTIAL
RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES. HAVE ASKED UNHCR TO ASSIST BY
MAKING PARALLEL APPROACHES. UK CANNOT SOLVE PROBLEM ON
ITS OWN. BUT DEPENDING ON THE RESPONSE BY OTHER
COUNTRIES, WE WOULD OURSELVES CONSIDER ACCEPTING FURTHER
LIMITED NUMBERS FROM HONG KONG IN ADDITION TO THE FAMILY
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