CONFIDENTIAL
3.
To maximise the effect of this decision, we are pressing other countries as widely as possible to take additional numbers of refugees from Hong Kong. Posts in the US, Canada, Australia, Japan, New Zealand, EC and other European countries have approached their host governments, and we have raised the subject at bilateral and multilateral meetings whenever opportunities have arisen in recent
Most countries have been sympathetic to our request, but it is too early yet to know how many will respond with concrete offers
concrete offers of resettlement places. So far only Australia, New Zealand and Luxembourg have offered specific increases (up to 200, 10 and "some families" respectively).
weeks.
Responses have been mixed.
Austrian position
4.
Austria has accepted about 420 Vietnamese refugees from Hong Kong since 1975. It has considerable refugee problems from Eastern Europe. (In 1984, for example, 7,000 refugees, mainly from Eastern Europe (especially Poland) sought asylum in Austria.)
5.
The British Ambassador in Vienna raised the subject of resettlement from Hong Kong with Dr Hinteregger on 8 October. The latter was not unsympathetic, but stressed Austria's other refugee commitments. He agreed to consider the matter and respond in due course. We have had no report that he has yet done so. The Austrian representative at the recent Executive Committee meeting of UNHCR in Geneva told the Hong Kong Government representative informally that a a positive response was unlikely; however, at the latter's request, he agreed to recommend to the Interior Ministry that Austria should accept the 21 family reunion cases at present in camps in Hong Kong with close relatives in Austria. It would be helpful if the PUS could
the PUS could remind Dr Hinteregger of Our continuing interest in obtaining Austria's assistance on this.
CONFIDENTIAL
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