TNAG-1419-FCO40-1902-Hong-Kong-Parliamentary-Sub-Committee-on-Race-Relations-and--1985 — Page 91

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RELATIONS AND IMMIGRATION PUBLISHED A REPORT ENTITLED 'REFUGEES AND ASYLUM WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO THE VIETNAMESE'. THE REPORT INCLUDES EVIDENCE BY FCO AND HOME OFFICE MINISTERS. RECOMMENDS INTER ALIA THAT THE CLOSED CAMPS IN HONG KONG SHOULD BE ABOLISHED AND THEIR INMATES TRANSFERRED TO OPEN CAMPS: THAT THE UK'S IMMIGRATION CRITERIA FOR FAMILY REUNION CASES SHOULD BE RELAXED IN RESPECT OF VIETNAMESE IN CAMPS IN COUNTRIES OF TEMPORARY ASYLUM, AND THAT THIS UK INITIATIVE SHOULD BE USED TO ATTRACT OFFERS FROM OTHER COUNTRIES OF ADDITIONAL RESETTLEMENT PLACES FOR REFUGEES NOW IN HONG KONG: AND THAT HONG KONG SHOULD ACCEPT FOR SETTLEMENT A PROPORTION OF ETHNIC CHINESE FROM ITS OPEN CAMPS (ALL OF WHOM HAVE BEEN IN HONG KONG OVER 3 YEARS). 11. ON 26 SEPTEMBER, THE GOVERNMENT WILL PUBLISH A WHITE PAPER IN RESPONSE TO THE REPORT. THE RESPONSES TO THE MAIN RECOMMENDATIONS RELATING TO HONG KONG ARE SUMMARISED IN

PARAGRAPHS 2, 3 4 AND 6 ABOVE.

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12. A SERIOUS DIFFICULTY IN PERSUADING OTHER COUNTRIES TO TAKE MORE REFUGEES FROM HONG KONG HAS BEEN THAT THE UK HAS IN RECENT YEARS TAKEN SO FEW (88 IN 1984: 5 SO FAR IN 1985). NOW THAT HMG HAVE AGREED TO ACCEPT A NEW INTAKE, WE WISH TO MAXIMISE THE EFFECT OF THE DECISION BY LAUNCHING A DIPLOMATIC OFFENSIVE TO SEEK TO PERSUADE OTHER COUNTRIES ALSO TO OFFER ADDITIONAL RESETTLEMENT PLACES TO REFUGEES FROM HONG KONG. THE MAIN COUNTRIES WE SHALL BE APPROACHING ARE: THE US, CANADA, AUSTRALIA, NEW ZEALAND, JAPAN, EC AND OTHER WESTERN EUROPEAN COUNTRIES. (THE FIRST THREE ALREADY TAKE REFUGEES FROM HONG KONG ON A

REGULAR BASIS. THEY HAVE BEEN RELUCTANT TO TAKE MORE IN THE ABSENCE OF A UK INITIATIVE TO ACCEPT A NEW INTAKE. THE OTHER COUNTRIES LISTED AT PRESENT TAKE ONLY SMALL NUMBERS OF REFUGEES FROM HONG KONG AND ON AN IRREGULAR BASIS.) WE SHALL BE ISSUING SEPARATE INSTRUCTIONS TO POSTS IN THE COUNTRIES CONCERNED, ASKING THEM TO APPROACH THEIR HOST GOVERNMENTS. WE ALSO WISH TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF ANY BILATERAL OR MULTILATERAL MEETINGS IN THE COMING WEEKS TO RAISE THE SUBJECT WITH REPRESENTATIVES OF THOSE COUNTRIES, AND WILL BRIEF MINISTERS AND SENIOR OFFICIALS

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