TNAG-1427-FCO40-1910-Vietnamese-refugees-in-Hong-Kong-general-1986 — Page 125

CONFIDENTIAL

limited numbers into Hong Kong from the camps, but again this

will depend on other countries' response to the UK's

initiative;

(iii) present

3.

circumstances do not

not make it possible to agree to SCORRI's recommendation that Hong Kong's closed camp policy be

ended. In HMG's view, abolition of the policy would cause a

sharp rise in the number of arrivals in Hong Kong, and consequently an unacceptable and unmanageable rise in the camp

population in Hong Kong.

To maximise the effect of this decision, we are pressing other

countries as widely as possible to take additional numbers of refugees from Hong Kong. Posts in the US, Canada, Australia, Japan, New Zealand, EC and other European countries have approached their host governments, and we have

have raised the subject at bilateral and multilateral meetings whenever opportunities have arisen in recent Responses have been mixed. Most countries have been sympathetic to our request, but it is too early yet to know how many will respond with concrete offers of resettlement places. So far only Australia, New Zealand and Luxembourg have done so (they have undertaken to accept 200, 10 and "a number of families"

respectively).

weeks.

4.

THIS IS A COPY

THE ORIGINAL HAS BEEN CLOSED FOR

40 YEARS UNDER FOI EXEMPTION No...270).

CONFIDENTIAL