TNAG-1424-FCO40-1907-Vietnamese-refugees-in-Hong-Kong-general-1985 — Page 25

CONFIDENTIAL

increased (although

1

in

1984 the

proportion

Resettlement countries are reluctant to accept

slightly declined).

that Northerners are

true refugees fleeing from political oppression when, unlike those from the South, they have lived under communist rule for 30 years.

They regard them instead as "economic migrants" who are simply in search of a better future.

Immigration Department have

Surveys conducted by the Hong Kong

indeed shown that 54% of new arrivals

since early 1983 have left Vietnam for economic reasons, whereas

only 26% have done SO for political reasons. (The remaining 20%

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

continue to treat "economic migrants" as refugees, which i s

consistent with the understanding reached during the 1979 Geneva

Conference, even though they may be subject to neither ethnic nor

political persecution.

to

三

(FOOTNOTE)

status of refugees

is

defines a

outside the

The 1951 Convention relating to the

refugee as any person who "owing to well-founded fear of being

persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of

a particular social group or political opinion,

country of his nationality and is unable or, owing to such fear, is

unwilling to avail himself of

of the

the protection of that country; or

who, not having a nationality and being outside the country of his

former habitual residence as a result

such events, is unable or,

of

owing to such fear, is unwilling to return to it".

CONFIDENTIAL