TNAG-1425-FCO40-1908-Vietnamese-refugees-in-Hong-Kong-general-1985 — Page 113

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CONFIDENTIAL

increased (although in 1984 the proportion

slightly declined).

Resettlement countries are reluctant to accept 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. Surveys conducted by the Hong Kong

Immigration Department have 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

the initial reason for departure, as long as the Vietnamese

refuse to take

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

during the 1979 Geneva Conference, even though they may

may be subject to neither ethnic nor

political persecution.

(FOOTNOTE)

The 1951 Convention relating to the status of refugees defines a 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, is outside the country of his nationality and is unable or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to avail himself of the protection of that country; or who, not having a nationality and being outside the country of his

former habitual residence as a result of such events, is unable or,

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

CONFIDENTIAL