GRS 350
RESTRICTED
FM HONG KONG
TO ROUTINE MANILA
TELNO 42
OF 16075OZ DECEMBER 85
RESTRICTED
INFO ROUTINE BANGKOK, JAKARTA, KUALA LUMPUR, SINGAPORE, FCO
MIPT REFERS.
337
i Walke
THE FOLLOWING IS THE TEXT OF A LETTER FROM WOODHOUSE TO KALIM,
THE UNHCR CHARGE HERE.
'YOU MAY RECALL THAT WE SPOKE ON 11 NOVEMBER 1985 ABOUT,
(NEXT TWO WORDS UNDERLINED) INTER ALIA, A REPORT FROM YOUR
COLLEAGUES IN THE PHILIPPINES ABOUT REFUGEES WHO OPTED TO CONTINUE
THEIR JOURNEY RATHER THAN REMAIN IN HONG KONG. YOU EXPLAINED THAT
SOME OF THESE REFUGEES, WHOM WE TERM 'VOLUNTARY DEPARTURES HAD
ARRIVED IN THE PHILIPPINES, WHERE THEY HAD BEEN FOUND TO HAVE
PREVIOUSLY RESIDED IN CHINA FOR SOME TIME AFTER LEAVING VIETNAM.
AS YOU ARE AWARE, VIETNAMESE OF THIS TYPE ALSO LAND IN HONG KONG. WHEN THEY ARE DETERMINED BY THE IMMIGRATION DEPARTMENT TO
HAVE LIVED IN CHINA FOR SOME TIME AFTER LEAVING VIETNAM THEY ARE
CLASSIFIED AS EX-CHINA CASES AND RETURNED TO CHINA.
IT SEEMS TO ME THAT THESE EX-CHINA CASES ARE AWARE THAT THEY WILL BE RETURNED TO CHINA IF THEY LAND IN HONG KONG AND, THEREFORE,
THEY ARE CONTIFUING ONTO THE PHILIPPINES IN THE HOPE THAT THEY WILL
BE RESETTLED AS REFUGEES. I APPRECIATE THAT THIS SITUATION IS OF CONCERN TO YOUR COLLEAGES, BUT I FEEL SURE THAT IT WOULD CEASE ONCE THESE EX-CHINA CASES ARE RETURNED TO CHINA. IF NEWS OF THE IP
RETURN FROM HONG KONG DETERS ARRIVALS IN HONG KONG, THEN THE
SAME WILL APPLY TO THEIR RETURN FROM THE PHILIPPINES.
BY THE UNHCR DEFINITION THESE EX-CHINA CASES ARE NOT REFUGEES. THEY ARE ILLEGAL TRAVELLERS WHO DIVERT RESOURCES IN HONG KONG, AND ELSEWHERE, FROM GENUINE REFUGEES. I THINK THAT IT IS IN EVERYONE'S INTERESTS TO DETER EX-CHINA CASES BECAUSE, AS YOU ARE AWARE, THERE ARE OVER A QUARTER OF A MILLION VIETNAMESE REFUGEES RESETTLED IN CHINA. AN EXODUS OF EVEN ONE PERCENT OF THESE COULD CAUSE SERVER PROBLEMS FOR OTHER PLACES OF FIRST ASYLUM:IN THE REGION.
RESTRICTED
MKKC 243/5
RECEIVED ISEGI TAY
18 DEC 1985
REGISTRY
INDEA
PA
Aeryn Taken
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