TNAG-1426-FCO40-1909-Vietnamese-refugees-in-Hong-Kong-general-1985 — Page 76

FCO40 Hong Kong Department Records 聯邦事務部香港部檔案 All

2

1

2

3

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

* 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 ** 252 2 2 2≈3*~♡♡

26

27

28

29

30

31

33

34

35

36

are still

/11,000 people are waiting here in Hong Kong; when the arrivals

of refugees have gone down there might be different reasons.

if

We think that one of the reasons might be what we call orderly departures, orderly departure is an arrangement by which people can leave Vietnam, they can get an exit visa from Vietnam and

an entry visa for a country to which they would like to go, and UNHCR is helpful doing the practical arrangements. They use our facilities and in the beginning it started in 1979, a little

more than five years ago, nobody left, we started very, very slowly but the last year it has picked up. In 1984, almost

30,000, it was 29,000 and some hundreds, left Vietnam in this

arrangement which we call "The Orderly Departures Programme". That means they leave by air and not by boat.

I hope that that is some of the explanation as at least the they people who have left by air/are not leaving by boat, but I also

think they inspire other people to wait until they can have an

orderly departure and not have a disorderly. They go from Ho Chi Minh City, they go to Bangkok and from Bangkok all over the

world. But still the problem is for us now, the people who

have arrived and are here and in other areas and countries in

this region in Malaysia, Thailand, etc. and for those who are here especially, the long-stayers, we would like to do whatever

we can and I the UNHCR will continue to monitor this problem

and do whatever we can to urge resettlement countries to still

not forget the last group of refugees, some of them having waited for more than three or four years and that is a very

tragic situation for a human being.

-

Let me end by saying we are very grateful to Hong Kong to the authorities, the Government here and to the people because Hong Kong has given asylum and never, never refused to give asylum to refugees coming here and never forced them back against their will, and treated them well, but of course, they would like. as we would like to see a solution a durable solution, for

these refugees. Thank you!

}

Comments

Approved members can add comments, bookmarks, and private notes.

No comments yet.

Private Research Note

Private notes are available after approval.