CONFIDENTIAL
9935 - 1
AGREE TO SCORRI'S RECOMMENDATION THAT THE CLOSED REFUGEE CAMPS IN HONG KONG BE DISCONTINUED AND THEIR INMATES TRANSFERRED TO OPEN CAMPS.
LINE TO TAKE
2.(I) HMG ARE IN AGREEMENT WITH MANY OF THE SELECT COMMITTEE'S
IN PARTICULAR, AS RECOMMENDED BY SCORRI,
RECOMMENDATIONS.
WE HAVE DECIDED TO ACCEPT FOR RESETTLEMENT SOME 500 REFUGEES WHO HAVE RELATIVES IN THE UK BUT WHO WOULD NORMALLY FALL OUTSIDE OUR IMMIGRATION CRITERIA FOR FAMILY REUNION CASES. MOST OF THESE REFUGEES ARE IN CAMPS IN HONG KONG THOUGH THERE ARE A FEW IN CAMPS IN OTHER SOUTH EAST ASIAN COUNTRIES.
(II) WE HOPE THAT OTHER COUNTRIES WILL ALSO BE ABLE TO ASSIST
HONG KONG BY ACCEPTING REFUGEES FROM THE CAMPS THERE.
SHALL BE APPROACHING MANY COUNTRIES ABOUT THIS IN THE COMING WEEKS.
ADDITIONAL POINTS (FOR USE FREELY)
3.
WE
IN ADDITION TO THE FAMILY REUNION CASES, HMG ARE PREPARED TO CONSIDER ACCEPTING FURTHER LIMITED NUMBERS OF REFUGEES FROM HONG KONG. A DECISION ON THIS WILL BE TAKEN 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. 4. THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT WOULD ALSO BE PREPARED TO CONSIDER ABSORBING INTO HONG KONG A LIMITED NUMBER OF VIETNAMESE REFUGEES FROM THE CAMPS THERE, PROVIDED THIS FORMED PART OF A CONCERTED INTERNATIONAL EFFORT TO REDUCE DRASTICALLY THE SIZE OF HONG KONG'S VIETNAMESE REFUGEE POPULATION.
5. WE HOPE THAT HMG'S AND THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT'S POSITIVE RESPONSES ON RESETTLEMENT WILL ENCOURAGE OTHER COUNTRIES TO GIVE FURTHER ASSISTANCE TO HONG KONG WITH RESETTLEMENT. ADDITIONAL POINTS (DEFENSIVE)
6.
(CLOSED CAMPS.)
PRESENT CIRCUMSTANCES DO NOT MAKE IT POSSIBLE TO ACCEPT SCORRI'S RECOMMENDATION THAT HONG KONG'S CLOSED CAMP POLICY BE ENDED. THE DECLINE SINCE 1982 IN THE RATE AT WHICH VIETNAMESE REFUGEES HAVE ARRIVED IN HONG KONG, COMPARED WITH THAT FOR THE SOUTH EAST ASIAN REGION AS A WHOLE, IS ALMOST
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CONFIDENTIAL
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