TNAG-1525-FCO40-2089-Hong-Kong-Parliamentary-Sub-Committee-on-Race-Relations-and--1986 — Page 39

6.

A significant

improvement

in Japan's performance in

resettling refugees from Hong Kong would be very well received, both in the region and internationally, and would

be a substantive contribution to solving a sad regional

problem.

DEFENSIVE

7. (If difficulties of integration are cited) Appreciate that Vietnamese may find it difficult to integrate into Japanese society. But this must apply in other countries

with cultures alien to Vietnam's, and some of these

Finland, The Netherlands and Norway

are continuing to

absorb numbers of Vietnamese refugees which are large

relative to their populations.

If these countries can cope,

surely Japan can too?

eg

8. (If asked which Japanese criteria we regard as tight) The requirements that a head of family should have at least 6 years of schooling, and should have "job experience which may facilitate his employment in Japan", are ones which very

few of the refugees in Hong

Hong Kong who mostly come from technologically backward argricultural communities

satisfy.

9.

camps

could

(If pressed on UK's or Hong Kong's resettlement performance). UK has already accepted 12,000 refugees from in Hong Kong, (of a total of 19,000 Indo-Chinese refugees), and Hong Kong 646 (of 14,300). Resettlement in UK was at a low ebb for most of 1985 whilst our policy was

under review the total for the year was 44. In first quarter of 1986, 138 were resettled in UK, and we expect to continue to achieve a monthly resettlement rate of about 40

time. Hong Kong is

to resettle some 250 more

refugees from the camps.

for

some