TNAG-1523-FCO40-2087-Hong-Kong-Parliamentary-Sub-Committee-on-Race-Relations-and--1986 — Page 174

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GIVE

INCREASE THEIR OFFTAKE F HONG KONG REFUGEES; PRIORITY T THE OPEN CAMP POPULATION WHEN RESETTLING RFEES FROM THE TERRITORY THE HKG EMPHASIZED THAT TH 500 PERSON HMG PIANS TO TAKE ARE ALMOST ALL OPEN CAM RESIDENTS. THE HKG ASKED THAT WHEN THE OTHER RESETTLEMENT NATIONS INCREASE THEIR OWN OFFTAKE, THEY LIKEWISE CONCENTRATE ON LONGSTAYING REFUGEES (REFTELS B AND).

5. AS THE HKG EXPLAINED, THE SEPTEMBER UK/HONG KONG INITIATIVE IS THEREFORE AN EXTENSION OF THE HKG'S JULY 1985 APPEAL TO ACCELERATE THE PACE OF RESETTLEMENT FROM HONG KONG ́S OPEN CAMPS. AT THAT TIME, THE HKG ASKED THAT EETWEEN JULY 1985 AND JUNE 1986 THE RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES TAKE A TOTAL CF APPROXIMATELY ONE HUNDRED OPEN CAMP RESIDENTS A MONTH. THE HKG ́S OBJECTIVE WAS TO REDUCE THE POPULATION OF THE TERRITORY'S TWO OPEN CENTERS TO APPROXIMATELY 3,500 PERSONS, WHO COULD THEN BE CONSOLIDATED INTO A SINGLE CAMP (REFTEL A).

U.S. OFFTAKE FROM HONG KONG'S OPEN CAMPS.

6. THE U.S. HAS MADE A MAJOR CONTRIBUTION TO THE SECOND GOAI CF THE UK/HONG KONG INITIATIVE - FOCUSING SETTLEMENT EFFORTS ON OPEN CAMP REFUGEES. IN JULY 1985, THE HKG ASKED THE U.S. TO TAKE A MINIMUM OF TWENTY-FIVE OPEN CAMP RESIDENTS A MONTH FOR A PERIOD OF TWELVE MCNTHS. DURING THE PAST SIX MONTHS, WE HAVE FAR EXCEEDED THIS TARGET. SYMPATHETIC TO THE PLIGHT OF LONGSTAYING REFUGEES AND AWARE OF THE PROBLEM THEY PRESENT TO THE HKG, THE U.S. PROGRAM ACCEPTED 680 OPEN CAMF RESIDENTS BETWEEN JULY AND DECEMBER OF THIS YEAR (CF THIS NUMBER, 425 HAVE ALREADY DEPARTED HONG KONG, AND ANOTHER 250 WILL PROBABLY LEAVE BY EARLY 1986). THUS, IN THE LAST SIX MONTHS WE HAVE ACCEPTED FOR RESETTLEMENT MORE THAN DOUBLE THE NUMBER OF OPEN CAMP REFUGEES THE HKG ASKED US TO TAKE OVER AN ENTIRE YEAR. BETWEEN JANUARY AND JULY 1986 WE EXPECT TO TAKE STILL ANOTHER 100 OPEN CAMP REFUGEES. THE HKG ANTICIPATES THAT, DUE LARGELY TO THIS U.S. DRAW, THE OPEN CAMP POPULATION WILL DROP TO THE VICINITY OF 3,500 BY MID-1986, AT WHICH POINT THE DILAPIDATED JUBILEE OPEN CENTER CAN BE CLOSED.

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