TNAG-1532-FCO40-2096-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-closed-camp-policy-1986 — Page 17

DOGAGR

CONFIDENTIAL

UNHRC EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE (EXCOM): GENEVA 6-13 OCTOBER

BRIEF NO 6(h)

VIETNAMESE REFUGEES IN HONG KONG

Points to Make with Members of "Honolulu Group" (ie

delegations of Australia, Canada, Japan and US

1. Remain very concerned about the continuing outflow of

"boat people" from Vietnam.

Despite continuing

resettlement, new arrivals continue to swell numbers in the Hong Kong camps. Hong Kong's arrival rate this year is

nearly double the rate

of last

last year (1812 January-August 1986 compared with 875 same period 1985). Of Hong Kong's present camp population of 8515 (1 September), 64% have been there for over 3 years.

2. Problem not one affecting Hong Kong only: HMG are also concerned at accelerating "compassion fatigue" and general destabilising effect of unresettlable Indochinese in camps. in places of first asylum throughout Southeast Asia.

3.

Further problem is that some resettlement countries now refusing to regard many of those in Hong Kong as

but refugees"

consider them rather as "economic

will not include them in their

are

"true

and thus

migrants", resettlement programmes. This creates severe difficulties for Hong Kong, which is faced with prospect of a large (and possibly increasing) group of unresettlable refugees in its

camps.

4. Against this background we would welcome opportunity to consider jointly and informally with main resettlement countries and UNHCR what might be done to resolve problem

from Vietnam, of continuing outflow

order to relieve

pressure on Hong Kong.

in

CONFIDENTIAL