TNAG-1524-FCO40-2088-Hong-Kong-Parliamentary-Sub-Committee-on-Race-Relations-and--1986 — Page 106

M

sit! Hk and

I Jan 186

!

RESTRICTED

15279 1

C

(J)

6.

(A)

(B)

(C)

SWEDEN HAD RECEIVED NO CASES FROM UNHCR, HONG KONG ASKED UNHCR IN HONG KONG TO PASS A LIST TO GENEVA (HONG KONG TELNO 341). AS WITH NORWAY, THE SWEDES' GLOBAL QUOTA OF 1250 IS TO BE ALLOCATED ALONG LINES SUGGESTED BY UNHCR. SWITZERLAND: LUR INDICATED UNHCR HAS SENT SWISS CONSULATE GENERAL IN HONG KONG A LIST OF 36 REFUGEES. GRATEFUL IF YOU ASK UNHCR TO FOLLOW UP WITH SWISS. THE FOLLOWING ARE DEFENSIVE POINTS FOR USE WITH UNHCR: ARRIVALS IN UK IN THE POST-SCORRI EXERCISE: 78 AS AT END-JANUARY, THEREAFTER 40 MONTHLY EXPECTED.

HMG POSSIBILITY OF FURTHER UK OFFTAKE: TOO EARLY TO SAY. WILL DECIDE WHETHER TO ACCEPT A FURTHER LIMITED NUMBER OF VIETNAMESE REFUGEES FROM HONG KONG, IN ADDITION TO THE FAMILY REUNION CASES, IN THE LIGHT OF THE RESPONSE BY OTHER RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES TO HONG KONG'S NEEDS AND OF

ALL THE CIRCUMSTANCES AT THE TIME.

REDUCING POPULATION OF HONG KONG REFUGEE CAMPS: ALTHOUGH THE NUMBER OF VIETNAMESE REFUGEES IN HONG KONG FELL BY 2449 DURING 1985 WE AND HONG KONG REMAIN SERIOUSLY CONCERNED ABOUT THE SIZE OF HONG KONG'S REFUGEE PROBLEM. HONG KONG STILL HAS THE HIGHEST VIETNAMESE REFUGEE POPULATION IN THE REGION. 63 PERCENT HAVE BEEN IN THE HONG KONG CAMPS FOR OVER 3 YEARS. A MAJOR EFFORT IS STILL NEEDED

BY ALL RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES TO RESOLVE THIS CONTINUING

PROBLEM.

7.

WE ARE INSTRUCTING CERTAIN POSTS (COPYING TELEGRAMS TO

WE DO YOU) TO SPEAK TO THEIR HOST GOVERNMENTS ALONG THESE LINES. NOT PROPOSE TO MAKE FURTHER APPROACHES FOR THE TIME BEING TO ICELAND, GREECE, ITALY, PORTUGAL, .PAIN AND TANZANIA.

HOWE

LIMITED

HKD

SEAD

UND

WED-

PS/MR RENTON

SIR W. HARDING

DR WILSON

RESTRICTED