TNAG-1423-FCO40-1906-Vietnamese-refugees-in-Hong-Kong-general-1985 — Page 62

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PP HONG KONG

GRS 4220

CONFIDENTIAL

FM FCO 151730Z FEBRUARY 85

TO PRIORITY HONG KONG

CONFIDENTIAL

TELEGRAM NUMBER 279 OF 15 FEBRUARY

MIPT:

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ник 24-315

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY

20 FER 1965

DESK OF FRA

INDSX

VIETNAMESE REFUGEES IN HONG KONG: POLICY PARER-

1. DRAFT TEXT IS AS FOLLOWS:

BEGINS

I BEGIN UNDER LINING INTRODUCTION END UNDERLINING

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 SETS OUT POSSIBLE OPTIONS FOR IMPROVING THE

POSITION.

II BEGIN UNDERLINING BACKGROUND END UNDERLINING

2. ABOUT 1.5 MILLION PEOPLE HAVE LEFT INDO-CHINA SINCE 1975,

OVER A MILLION OF THESE VIETNAMESE. OVER HALF A MILLION BOAT

REFUGEES FROM VIETNAM HAVE ARRIVED IN FIRST ASYLUM COUNTRIES

INCLUDING HONG KONG AND MANY MORE HAVE CERTAINLY 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

IN CAMPS IN THE AREA.

104,000 VIETNAMESE HAVE REACHED HONG KONG SINCE 1975: NONE HAVE

BEEN TURNED AWAY. ALL HAVE BEEN PLACED IN CAMPS PENDING

RESETTLEMENT ELSEWHERE. HONG KONG HAVE THEMSELVES ACCEPTED

14,000 DISPLACED INDO-CHINESE, MOSTLY FROM VIETNAM, FOR PERMANENT

SETTLEMENT. HONG KONG'S REFUGEE POPULATION HAS NOW REMAINED

STEADY AT 12-13,000 FOR ABOUT TWO YEARS. THIS IS MORE THAN THE

NUMBERS IN ANY OF THE SOUTH EAST ASIAN COUNTRIES AWAITING

RESETTLEMENT, EG MALAYSIA (8,000), INDONESIA (7,000), PHILIPPINES

(2000).

UK RESPONSE TO VIETNAMESE REFUGEE PROBLEM : 1979 GENEVA

1

CONFIDENTIAL

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