TNAG-1456-FCO40-1980-Future-of-Hong-Kong-annual-report-to-Parliament-on-Hong-Kong-1986 — Page 73

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CONFIDENTIAL

7196

IN RESPONSE TO A REQUEST BY THE UNITED NATIONS HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES, THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT ALSO AGREED, IN FEBRUARY 1986, TO ESTABLISH A TRANSIT CENTRE IN HONG KONG TO HELP FACILITATE THE RESETTLEMENT OF REFUGEES RESCUED AT SEA UNDER

THE INTERNATIONAL RESCUE AT SEA RESETTLEMENT OFFERS SCHEME.

HOWEVER, ELEVEN YEARS AFTER THE END OF THE WAR IN VIETNAM THERE IS STILL NO DURABLE SOLUTION IN SIGHT TO THE PROBLEM OF THE CONTINUING EXODUS FROM INDO CHINA. DURING 1986 THE NUMBER OF VIETNAMESE REFUGEES ARRIVING IN HONG KONG DOUBLED COMPARED WITH

1985. THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME THAT THE RATE OF ARRIVALS IN THE TERRITORY HAD INCREASED SINCE THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE QUOTE CLOSED CENTRE UNQUOTE POLICY IN JULY 1982. MUCH OF THE BENEFIT FROM AN IMPROVED RATE OF RESETTLEMENT IN 1986 WAS THUS CANCELLED OUT BY THE LARGE INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF NEW ARRIVALS IN HONG

KONG.

FURTHER, ALTHOUGH SOME 3,700 REFUGEES WERE RESETTLED FROM HONG KONG IN 1986 THIS LEVEL IS UNLIKELY TO BE MAINTAINED IN

1987. AS A RESULT OF THE EFFORTS OF HER MAJESTY'S GOVERNMENT AND THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT RESETTLEMENT EXCEEDED ARRIVALS BY (...) BRINGING A FALL OF ( .) IN THE VIETNAMESE REFUGEE POPULATION TO THE END OF THE YEAR. BUT (...) REMAINED TO BE RESETTLED.

ENDS

HOWE

YYYY

OCMIAN 7196

HONG KUNG AGREEMENT: RESTRICTED

LIMITED

HD/HKD

HD/FED

RESEARCH DEPT (FE)

DEP/HD/PUSD

PS/MR RENTON

MR GILLMORE

MR WILSON

COPIES TO:

MR FIFOOT LEGAL ADVISERS

Confidential

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