TNAG-1426-FCO40-1909-Vietnamese-refugees-in-Hong-Kong-general-1985 — Page 151

*she said

побрестий

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Mr Dixon

Information Department

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(218

Reference...

Ater 243/5

Spoken to Rosamund Vercoe- She has rewritten the brief, and

Would prefer us to see it

sheness

BACKGROUND BRIEF ON REFUGEES FROM before we give our Comments, warned her that, depending on accuracy of HI section, we may redraft

INDO-CHINA

1. Thank you for your minute of 13 May with the attached draft.

ouselves *

2. I am returning a copy of your draft with some textual amendments. Hong Kong Department will no doubt wish to comment on the paragraphs relating to Hong Kong. I sugest also that you seek UND's views, particularly on the paragraphs entitled "Definition of a Refugee".

3. I have indicated that the order of the paragraphs should be changed. The paragraph at the top of page 2 should in my view precede the paragraph on the ODP. The paragraph on Laos and Cambodia at the bottom of page 2 should preferably come after the section on Hong Kong's problems (we have an interest in highlighting as much as possible the Hong Kong aspect of the general refugee situation).

4. I am not happy about the paper's treatment of "durable solutions", ie the paragraph on "Settlement" on page 3. There should be a section which deals with UNHCR's three durable solutions, ie repatriation (the ideal one, but impracticable because of the lack of volunteers), local/regional integration, and (least satisfactory of all from our point of view except where it helps Hong Kong) resettlement in Western industrialised countries such as the UK.

5. The paper should also include a paragraph

on the UK's contribution to the solution of the Indo-Chinese refugee problem. You will find suitable material in the FCO memorandum prepared for the Sub-Committee on Race Relations and Immigration (SCORRI). We should point out that the UK's record, like Hong Kong's, is a good one. For all our lack of historical ties with Indo-China we have accepted over 19,000, and continue to accept family reunion and ship rescue cases. There should also be a mention of the SCORRI enquiry including the publishing of their Report which focused on the Hong Kong refugee problem. (Copies of the Report can be obtained from Parliamentary Unit). We do not yet know how the Government will respond, although the FCO has already had contact with the Home Office on this. We should not therefore go beyond mentioning the bare bones of the Report's recommendations, and certainly not put any value judgement on them.

6. I feel it would be appropriate for the paper to end on a more political note. A finger should be pointed at the Hanoi Government as the root cause of the Indo-Chinese refugee problem. We should also make the point that, as well as our continuing commitment to resettlement, the UK continues to join with other resettlement and first asylum countries and the UNHCR in the search for durable solutions. In an ideal world repatriation would be the best answer

MKK 2431s

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY

06 JUN 1985

DESK OFFICER

INDEX

REGISTRY

PA

Action Taken

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