TNAG-1419-FCO40-1902-Hong-Kong-Parliamentary-Sub-Committee-on-Race-Relations-and--1985 — Page 45

Guit?

CASES IN HONG KONG SUBMITTED BY THE UNHCR TO THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT

estimated

IS NOWKELY TO BE CLOSER TO 500 THAN THE FIGURE OF 420 QUOTED IN THE WHITE PAPER:

CLOSED CAMPS IN HONG KONG WOULD NOT BE ABOLISHED:

MORE WILL BE DONE TO PREPARE THE INHABITANTS OF HONG KONG'S REFUGEE CAMPS FOR LIFE AFTER THEY ARE RESETTLED, ESPECIALLY THROUGH TRAINING AND UPGRADING OF SKILLS, BUT HE POINTED OUT THAT THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT, IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE UNHCR AND VOLUNTARY AGENCIES HERE. IS ALREADY DOING MUCH TO IMPROVE EDUCATION AND TRAINING IN THE CAMPS:

A CONSIDERABLE DEGREE OF MINISTERIAL DISCRETION WILL BE RETAINED IN THE GRANTING OF FAMILY REUNION APPLICATIONS!

BRITAIN'S WILLINGNESS TO RELAX ITS FAMILY REUNION CRITERIA WILL 3E USED TO NEGOTIATE ADDITIONAL RESETTLEMENT PLACES FROM OTHER COUNTRIES WITH A VIEW TO REDUCING DRASTICALLY THE SIZE OF HONG KONG'S VIETNAMESE REFUGEE POPULATION AND TO RESETTLE ALL THOSE WHOSE STAY IN CAMPS HAS BEEN PROLONGED:

BRITAIN IS PREPARED TO CONSIDER ACCEPTING. IN ADDITION TO THE FAMILY REUNION CASES, FURTHER LIMITED NUMBERS OF VIETNAMESE REFUGEES FROM HONG KONG IN THE LIGHT OF THE WILLINGNESS SHOWN BY OTHER RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES TO RESPOND TO HONG KONG'S NEEDS AND OF ALL THE CIRCUMSTANCES AT THE TIME:

THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT WILL BE PREPARED TO CONSIDER ACCEPTING FOR RESETTLEMENT IN HONG KONG A LIMITED NUMBER OF ETHNIC CHINESE AS PART OF THE PACKAGE NEGOTIATED ALONG THE LINES SET OUT ABOVE : AND

THE FCO WILL MAKE RESOLUTION OF HONG KONG'S VIETNAMESE REFUGEE PROBLEM A MAJOR PRIORITY IN ITS DEALINGS WITH FOREIGN GOVERNMENTS.

5. THE GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN SAID THAT FOLLOWING THE PUBLICATION OF THE WHITE PAPER, A MAJOR DIPLOMATIC EFFORT WILL BE MOUNTED BY THE BRITISH AND HONG KONG GOVERNMENT'S TO PERSUADE OTHER COUNTRIES TO OFFER ADDITIONAL RESETTLEMENT PLACES TO VIETNAMESE REFUGEES FROM HONG KONG. THE BRITHISH GOVERNMENT WILL TAKE ADVANTAGE OF ANY BILATERAL OF MULTI-LATERAL MEETINGS IN THE NEAR FUTURE (SUCH AS THE UNHCR EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE. THE COMMONWEALTH PARLIAMENTARY ASSOCIATION AND THE COMMONWEALTH HEADS OF GOVERNMENT MEETINGS) TO PRESS HONG KONG'S CASE

7. THE SPOKESMAN SAID THAT THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT PROPOSES TO CONVENE BILATERAL MEETINGS WITH THE REPRESENTATIVES OF THE MAJOR RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES HERE. USING BRITAIN'S INITIATIVE AS A PLATFORM, THE REPRESENTATIVES WILL BE ASKED TO SEEK ADDITIONAL RESETTLEMENT PLACES AS PART OF A BURDEN SHARING SOLUTION TO HONG

2

CONFIDENTIAL

Suitable

Opportunities

I KONG'S

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