UNCLASSIFIED
8502
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3. WE ALSO EXPLAINED THAT THE DIPLOMATIC OFFENSIVE LAUNCHED BY BOTH
HMG AND HKG AFTER THE DECISION BY HMG TO RELAX ITS FAMILY REUNION
CRITERIA, WAS FOCUSSED IN PARTICULAR ON THOSE REFUGEES WHO HAD BEEN
IN HONG KONG FOR SOME CONSIDERABLE TIME,IE: THE OPEN CENTRE REGUGEES.
WE EXPLAINED, THEREFORE, THAT THIS DIPLOMATIC INITIATIVE SHOULD
BE VIEWED AS PART OF THE CONTINUING PROCESS TO RESETTLE REFUGEES
FROM HONG KONG AND, IN PARTICULAR, TO GIVE PRIORITY TO OPEN CENTRE
REFUGEES.
4. IN RESPONSE, THE AMERICAN REPRESENTATIVES POINTED OUT THAT THEY
HAD RESPONDED FAVOURABLY BOTH TO THE HONG KONG APPEAL OF JULY AND
HMG'S DECISION OF SEPTEMBER. ACCORDINGLY, ALTHOUGH THEY HAD
AGREED TO TAKE ABOUT 25 REFUGEES EACH MONTH FROM THE OPEN CENTRES,
THEY EXPECTED TO RESETTLE 826 BY THE END OF MAY IE: MORE THAN TWICE
THEIR COMMITTMENT.
5. THE CANADIAN REPRESENTATIVE POINTED OUT THAT HE HAD JUST BEEN
INFORMED BY HIS GOVERNMENT THAT THE CANADIAN OFFTAKE FOR HONG
KONG IN 1986 WOULD BE 650. THIS IS 50 MORE THAN THE CANADIAN OFFTAKE
IN 1985 BUT SHOULD BE VIEWED IN ITS REGIONAL CONTEXT. (THE
CANADIANS HAVE REDUCED THEIR REGIONAL OFFTAKE BY 500 AND,
THEREFORE, HONG KONG APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN GIVEN SPECIAL
CONSIDERATION). WE ARE HOPEFUL THAT THE CANADIANS, AS THEY HAVE DONE
IN THE PAST TWO YEARS, WILL ALLOCATE AN ADDITIONAL 500 PLACES TO
HONG KONG. THE CANADIAN REPRESENTATIVE EXPLAINED THAT NEARLY 200
REFUGEES HAD BEEN RESETTLED FROM OPEN CENTRES THIS YEAR. THEREFORE,
THE CANADIAN COMMITMENT IN 15 REFUGEES EACH MONTH HAD ALREADY
BEEN EXCEEDED. HE WAS CONFIDENT THAT MORE WOULD BE ACCEPTED FROM THE
OPEN CENTRES.
6. THE AUSTRALIAN REPRESENTATIVE EXPLAINED THAT 30 REFUGEES HAD BEEN
TAKEN FROM THE TWO OPEN CENTRES THIS YEAR BUT, IN VIEW OF HIS
GOVERNMENT'S DECISION TO ACCEPT AN ADDITIONAL 200 REFUGES FROM
HONG KONG (WITH THE POSSIBILITY OF A FURTHER 200), HE WAS CONFIDENT
THAT THE AUSTRALIAN COMMITMENT OF 10 REFUGEES EACH MONTH WOULD BE
2
UNCLASSIFIED
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