TNAG-1426-FCO40-1909-Vietnamese-refugees-in-Hong-Kong-general-1985 — Page 110

CONFIDENTIAL

-

in

recommended

asking him to accept the 400 500 family reunion cases

by SCORRI, and in addition to give a continuing commitment to accept

a further 500 a year.

We await a reply. It seems likely that the

Home Secretary will agree to accept the family reunion cases, but

that he wili be reluctant to make any commitment

excess of this.

However small the number eventually accepted, we shall need to use

the gesture

to Hong Kong's maximum advantage by putting pressure on

other countries to match it with similar quotas.

UNHCR have

indicated that they would be willing to assist in this.

SCORRI RECOMMENDATION THAT CLOSED CAMPS BE ABOLISHED

5. Unlikely that we shall be able to implement this recommendation.

Policy appears to have succeeded in deterring refugees:

refugees: Hong Kong

arrival rate has decreased at considerably faster rate than that of

other S E Asian first asylum countries since introduction of policy.

Relaxation of policy would almost certainly lead to new influx of

refugees. Hong Kong public would strongly resent relaxation: they

disapprove of Vietnamese being given special treatment compared with

Chinese illegal immigrants, who are almost invariably repatriated to

China despite having close cultural and often family ties with Hong

Kong Chinese.

B

VISIT OF MR HARTLING TO LONDON

6. Mr Hartling visited London on 5 June for discussions with Mr

Luce and Mr Waddington (Minister of State, Home Office),

in the

light of

of the SCORRI recommendations

and his own recent visit to Hong

Kong.

He emphasised in particular the problem of resettling the

long-stayers (he referred particularly to refugees in open camps,

all of whom arrived before July 1982, and who are becoming

increasingly difficult to resettle). (Record of meeting attached.)

ROLE OF UNHCR IN HONG KONG

7.

them.

A s well as running the resettlement programme for refugees from

Hong Kong, UNHCR are responsible for administration of the open

camps, in consultation with voluntary agencies appointed by

They also help pay for the closed camps they currently contribute

on e third of the cash expenditure (the rest is paid by the Hong Kong

Government). The y are mainly responsible for funding educational

-

and

training

programmes

within

the

(both camps

open and

CONFIDENTIAL

closed).