GRS 500
RESTRICTED
FM TOKYO
المتعدد
TO ROUTINE FCO
TELNO 217
OF 2406OOZ FEBRUARY 86
RESTRICTED
AND TO ROUTINE HONG KONG, UKMIS GENEVA
Mr Parte
fee
w/112
pages 163-166
mex & SCORRI:
TRI then let's discurs
a tel
отовую Све горе 29/2
YOUR TELNO 117: VIETNAMESE REFUGEES : RE-SETTLEMENT
1. FIRST SECRETARY CHANCERY TOOK ACTION ON 24 FEBRUARY WITH SUGANUMA, DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF REFUGEES DIVISION MF A
2. SUGANUMA SAID THAT THE MISSION TO HONG KONG AT THE END OF 1985 HAD INTERVIEWED 134 REFUGEES, BUT ONLY FIVE HAD MET JAPANESE CRITERIA FOR RE-SETTLEMENT. THESE CRITERIA (COPY FOLLOWS BY BAG) HAD BEEN SET BY THE JAPANESE CABINET IN 1980, AND ALLOWED LITTLE FLEXIBILITY IN DECIDING WHETHER OR NOT A REFUGEE QUALIFIED FOR RE-SETTLEMENT IN JAPAN. THE JAPANESE WOULD CERTAINLY CONSIDER SENDING MORE MISSIONS TO HONG KONG, AND WOULD WELCOME CANDIDATES WHO MET THEIR CRITERIA. BUT ON THE EVIDENCE OF THE LAST MISSION
THEY WERE UNLIKELY TO FIND MANY.
HKK 243/1
RECEIVED IN REGISTHY
2 5 FEB 1986
DESK OFFICER
INDEX
3. ACCORDING TO SUGANUMA, ALMOST ALL OF THE 25 REFUGEES ACCEPTED AS A RESULT OF THE MISSION TO HONG KONG IN EARLY 1985 HAVE NOW ARRIVED IN JAPAN. TWO HAVE APPARENTLY SUBSEQUENTLY MARRIED IN HONG KONG AND DECIDED NOT TO RE-SETTLE IN JAPAN, AND ONE WILL ARRIVE IN JAPAN NEXT MONTH. THE TOTAL NUMBER OF REFUGEES RE-SETTLED IN JAPAN IN 1985 WAS 52. THIS COMPARES WITH 34 IN 1984 AND 1 IN 1983.
4. IN ANSWER TO A QUESTION, SUGANUMA CONFIRMED THAT CONSIDERATION WAS TAKING PLACE WITHIN HIS DIVISION ABOUT CHANGING THE CONDITIONS FOR RE-SETTLEMENT. HIS DIVISION FAVOURED A CHANGE WHICH WOULD MAKE IT EASIER FOR PEOPLE TO RE-SETTLE IN JAPAN. BUT THIS VIEW, NOT SURPISINGLY, WAS NOT SHARED BY A NUMBER OF OTHER MINISTRIES, WHOSE CONCERS WERE TO ENSURE A HIGH LEVEL OF EMPLOYMENT FOR JAPANESE NATIONALS. WILTON STRESSED THAT WE AND HONG KONG WOULD VERY MUCH WELCOME ANY CHANGES WHICH PERMITTED AN INCREASE IN THE JAPANESE OFF-TAKE FROM HONG KONG.
360
PA
Action Taken
RESTRICTED
/SUGANUMA
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