TNAG-1423-FCO40-1906-Vietnamese-refugees-in-Hong-Kong-general-1985 — Page 66

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YEARS.

THEY REGARD THEM INSTEAD AS 'ECONOMIC MIGRANTS' WHO ARE

SIMPLY IN SEARCH OF A BETTER FUTURE. SURVEYS CONDUCTED BY THE

HONG KONG IMMIGRATION DEPARTMENT HAVE INDEED SHOWN THAT 54

PERCENT OF NEW ARRIVALS SINCE EARLY 1983 HAVE LEFT VIETNAM FOR

ECONOMIC REASONS, WHEREAS ONLY 26 PERCENT HAVE DONE SO FOR

POLITICAL REASONS. (THE REMAINING 20 PERCENT HAVE LEFT FOR OTHER

REASONS, EG TO SEEK FAMILY REUNION). HOWEVER, WHATEVER THE

INITIAL REASON FOR DEPARTURE, AS LONG AS THE VIETNAMESE REFUSE TO

TAKE THEM BACK, THERE IS LITTLE OPTION IN PRACTICE BUT TO

CONTINUE TO TREAT 'ECONOMIC MIGRANTS' AS REFUGEES, WHICH IS

CONSISTENT WITH THE UNDERSTANDING REACHED DURING THE 1979 GENEVA

CONFERENCE, EVEN THOUGH THEY MAY BE SUBJECT TO NEITHER ETHNIC NOR

POLITICAL PERSECUTION.

10. RESETTLEMENT QUOTAS FOR ALL INDO-CHINESE REFUGEES HAVE

DECLINED IN RECENT YEARS. HONG KONG HAS BEEN PARTICULARLY

AFFECTED BY THIS DECLINE. REASONS FOR THE DECLINE APPEAR TO

INCLUDE:

(A) 'COMPASSION FATIGUE'

NEARLY 10 YEARS AFTER THE FALL OF SAIGON, THE INDO-CHINESE

REFUGEE PROBLEM IS PERCEIVED AS LESS PRESSING THAN IT WAS AND HAS

BEEN OVERTAKEN BY OTHER REFUGEE CRISES, EG IRAN, AFGHANISTAN,

ETHIOPIA.

(B) DOMESTIC CONSIDERATIONS OF RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES

AND

MANY RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES ARE RELUCTANT TO ACCEPT LARGE QUOTAS

OF REFUGEES BECAUSE THEY ALREADY FACE HIGH UNEMPLOYMENT, AND ARE

CONCERNED ABOUT THE STRAIN THAT LARGE NUMBERS OF UNEMPLOYED

REFUGEES MIGHT PLACE ON WELFARE SERVICES. THE UK HAS HAD ONE OF

THE LEAST SATISFACTORY EXPERIENCES IN THIS RESPECT: 80 PERCENT OF

THE ADULT VIETNAMESE RESETTLED HERE ARE UNEMPLOYED.

(C) RELUCTANCE TO ACCEPT 'NON-REFUGEES'

THE AMERICANS IN PARTICULAR SUPPORT THE VIEW THAT THE MAJORITY OF

THE REFUGEES NOW ARRIVING IN HONG KONG ARE ECONOMIC MIGRANTS.

SINCE MID-1982 ABOUT 50 PERCENT OF THOSE SELECTED BY THE US

CONSULATE IN HONG KONG AS ELIGIBLE FOR ADMISSION UNDER THE US

REFUGEE PROGRAMME HAVE SUBSEQUENTLY BEEN REJECTED BY THE

IMMIGRATION AND NATURALISATION SERVICE (INS) ON THE GROUNDS THAT

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