CONFIDENTIAL
9934
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(III)
(IV)
(V)
(V)
TERRITORY: INTEGRATION OF THE 19,000 VIETNAMESE
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 SOME 420 VIETNAMESE REFUGEES
FROM HONG KONG AND SOME 60 FROM OTHER PLACES OF FIRST
ASYLUM, ALL OF WHOM HAVE RELATIVES IN THE UK BUT WHO
WOULD NOT QUALIFY FOR ADMISSION UNDER OUR NORMAL
CRITERIA.
SERIOUSLY CONCERNED ABOUT SITUATION IN CAMPS IN HONG KONG
AND POTENTIAL FOR DETERIATION. LARGEST NUMBER OF
VIETNAMESE REFUGEES IN ANY COUNTRY OF FIRST ASYLUM. AS
SCALE OF GENERAL PROBLEM HAS DECREASED SO TOO HAVE
EFFORTS OF RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES. 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
REUNION CASES. HONG KONG WOULD SIMILARLY BE PREPARED TO
CONSIDER ACCEPTING FOR RESETTLEMENT IN HONG KONG A
LIMITED NUMBER OF ETHNIC CHINESE IF THIS FORMED PART OF A
PACKAGE AIMED AT REDUCING DRASTICALLY THE SIZE OF HONG
KONG'S VIETNAMESE REFUGEE POPULATION AND RESETTLING ALL
THOSE WHOSE STAY IN HONG KONG HAS BEEN PROLONGED.
WE FEEL THAT A POSITIVE US RESPONSE WOULD GREATLY ENHANCE
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