TNAG-1425-FCO40-1908-Vietnamese-refugees-in-Hong-Kong-general-1985 — Page 112

CONFIDENTIAL

that of illegal immigrants from China, with whom they have closer

They are critical of the

allocated to Vietnamese refugees at

family, cultural and ethnic ties.

financial and other resources

their expense.

(d)

Government

8. The closed camp policy is the

the only measure that the Hong Kong

have been able to implement to deter Vietnamese from

travelling to Hong Kong. Although it by no me an s provides a

complete answer to the problem (refugees continue to arrive), and has itself created new problems, the Hong Kong Government consider

that the advantages of the policy decisively outweigh the

disadvantages and that this policy of deterrence must continue.

9.

The Hong Kong Government believes that no lasting solution will

be found until the flow of refugees from Vietnam is stopped. Until

s ome means is found to do this, the Hong Kong Government must

continue to rely on the understanding reached at the 1979 Geneva Conference that refugees should be resettled internationally from

countries of first asylum.

IV PROBLEMS OVER RESETTLEMENT

THIS IS A COPY THE ORIGINAL HAS BEEN

40

-----

CLOSED FOR

YEARS UNDER FOI

EXEMPTION No...27(1)....

e and my fat far və alt tas dar að se

10.

Of the 58,543 Vietnamese who arrived in Hong Kong in the first

half of 1979, 84% were ethnic Chinese. They were considered by

resettlement countries to fall under the accepted definition of

"refugees"!* through their persecution for reasons of race. After 1979 however the proportion of ethnic Chinese arriving in Hong Kong dropped to 2-3%.

Initially most of the ethnic Vietnamese arriving from South Vietnam; they were readily accepted by

as refugees, on grounds of political persecution. Between 1980 and 1983 however the proportion of Northerners steadily

in Hong Kong were

Western countries

CONFIDENTIAL