TNAG-1423-FCO40-1906-Vietnamese-refugees-in-Hong-Kong-general-1985 — Page 123

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CONFIDENTIAL

VIETNAMESE REFUGEES IN HONG KONG :

I

INTRODUCTION

POLICY PAPER

1. This paper surveys the problem of Vietnamese refugees in Hong

Kong, attempts to predict how it will develop if policy remains as

it is now, and set out possible options for improving the position.

II

2.

BACKGROUND

About 1.5 million people have left Indo-China since 1975, over a

million of these Vietnamese. Some 130,000, mainly Vietnamese, left

for the United States in 1975. Around 260,000 Vietnamese entered

China in 1978. Over half a million Vietnamese boat refugees have

arrived in first asylum countries including Hong Kong (we can only

speculate as to how many have perished en route). Since 1979 over

72,000 Vietnamese have left Vietnam under the Orderly Departure

Programme (ODP) administered by the UNHCR with Vietnamese Government

cooperation. Currently over 160,000 Indo-Chinese (some 40,000

Vietnamese) await resettlement. 104,000 Vietnamese have reached

Hong Kong; none have been turned away. All have been placed in

camps pending resettlement elsewhere. Hong Kong have also accepted

dis placed Indo-Chinese 14,000 for permanent settlement in Hong Kong Hong Kong's refugee

population has now remained steady at 12-13,000 for about two years.

This i s more than the numbers in any of the South East Asian

countries awaiting resettlement, eg Malaysia (8,000), Indonesia

(7,000), Philippines (2000).

3.

UK RESPONSE TO VIETNAMESE REFUGEE PROBLEM : 1979 GENEVA CONFERENCE

In January 1979, HMG agreed to admit 1,500 refugees from

Indo-China, in addition to

in addition to the 300 or so already here. It was

decided that, because of our responsibilities for the territory

1,000 of these should come from Hong Kong. In July 1979, at UK

initiative, a conference was held in Geneva to deal with the

worsening refugee crisis. At that conference, the UK agreed to take

a further quota of 10,000 Vietnamese refugees from Hong Kong. I t

was at this conference that the consensus emerged to confer group

refugee status on those leaving Indo-China by boat. The UK has so

far accepted around 19000 Vietnamese.

CONFIDENTIAL