TNAG-1423-FCO40-1906-Vietnamese-refugees-in-Hong-Kong-general-1985 — Page 46

SHOULD ECONOMIC MIGRANTS BE REPATRIATED?

WHERE THE MOTIVATION FOR A REFUGEE LEAVING A COUNTRY IS

PREDOMINANTLY ECONOMIC, IT IS TEMPTING TO CONCLUDE THAT SUCH

REFUGEES SHOULD BE PRIME CANDIDATES FOR REPATRIATION.

HOWEVER,

IN THE CASE OF VIETNAM, UNHCR HAS NOT MANAGED TO ELABORATE ANY

SCHEME FOR VOLUNTARY REPATRIATION; THERE ARE EFFECTIVELY NO

VOLUNTEERS AND THE VIETNAMESE GOVERNMENT HAVE SHOWN NO WILLINGNESS

ANY QUESTION OF INVOLUNTARY REPATRIATION WOULD

TO CO-OPERATE.

RAISE PROBLEMS CONCERNING THE SUBSEQUENT TREATMENT OF THOSE

INVOLVED AND COMPLIANCE WITH HMG'S INTERNATIONAL ALLEGATIONS,

AND THE UNDERSTANDINGS ARISING FROM THE 1979 GENEVA CONFERENCE•

UNLESS THESE PROBLEMS COULD BE SOLVED IT IS DIFFICULT TO SEE

HOW INVOLUNTARY REPATRIATION WOULD BE POSSIBLE.

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