GRS 2000
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO DESKBY 15093OZ FCO
TELNO 4140
OF 15053OZ DECEMBER 36
PART ONE OF TWO
CONFIDENTIAL
HKK J43/4 RECEIVED IN REGISTRY
18 DEC 1986
DESK.OFFICER ·
INDEX
CC
ΡΑ
REGISTRY
Action Taken
mek
FOR HONG KONG DEPARTMENT FROM CLERK OF COUNCILS
MIPT: EXCO AGENDA FOR 9 DECEMBER.
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FOLLOWING IS TEXT OF EXCO MEMORANDUM XCCI(86)60:
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1.
BEGINS
**AN ASSESSMENT OF THE PRESENT POSITION REGARDING VIETNAMESE
REFUGEES IN HONG KONG
INTRODUCTION
FOLLOWING THE RECOMMENDATIONS IN THE REPORT OF THE HOME AFFAIRS
SUB-COMMITTEE ON RACE RELATIONS AND IMMIGRATION (THE SCORRI REPORT), HMG PUBLISHED A WHITE PAPER IN SEPTEMBER 1985 AGREEING TO RELAX ITS
FAMILY REUNION CRITERIA FOR VIETNAMESE REFUGEES IN HONG KONG WITH
RELATIVES IN THE UNITED KINGDOM. THIS INITIATIVE WAS USED AS THE
BASIS OF A MAJOR DIPLOMATIC EFFORT TO SEEK ADDITIONAL RESETTLEMENT
PLACES FOR HONG KONG. THIS EFFORT HAS BEEN SUCCESSFUL. BUT
INCREASED ARRIVALS, CONTINUED CRITICISM OF HONG KONG'S CLOSED
CENTRE POLICY AND A BLEAK FORECAST FOR THE FUTURE HAVE LED TO A
NEED TO REVIEW THE PRESENT POSITION.
2. THE PURPOSE OF THIS MEMORANDUM IS TO INFORM MEMBERS ABOUT:
(A) THE EFFECT OF HMG'S INITIATIVE:
(B)
HONG KONG'S POLICY ON SCREENING AND REPATRIATING THOSE
ARRIVING FROM VIETNAM:
(C) THE FUTURE REFUGEE POPULATION IN HONG KONG:
(D)
THE CRITICISM OF THE CLOSED CENTRE POLICY:
AND
(E) THE COST OF THE CLOSED CENTRE POLICY.
THE EFFECT OF HMG'S INITIATIVE
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3. AS A RESULT OF HMG'S DECISION TO RELAX ITS FAMILY REUNION CRITERIA, 423 REFUGEES HAVE LEFT HONG KONG FOR THE UNITED KINGDOM SO FAR THIS YEAR (OUT OF A TOTAL OF 457 WHO HAVE LEFT SINCE THE DECISION WAS TAKEN IN SEPTEMBER 1985). IN ADDITION, BELGIUM, DENMARK, FINLAND, GREECE, JAPAN, LUXEMBOURG, THE NETHERLANDS, NEW ZEALAND, NORWAY AND SWEDEN HAVE TAKEN, OR AGREED TO TAKE, REFUGEES FROM HONG KONG. THE MAJOR RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES HAVE EITHER MAINTAINED OR INCREASED THEIR REGULAR MONTHLY OFFTAKE FROM HONG KONG. AS AT THE END OF OCTOBER 1986 A TOTAL OF 3,328 REFUGEES HAD BEEN RESETTLED FROM HONG KONG COMPARED TO 3,224 DURING THE SAME PERIOD IN 1985. EVEN THOUGH THIS REPRESENTS ONLY A 3 PERCENT INCREASE, IT MUST BE VIEWED IN THE CONTEXT OF SHRINKING WORLDWIDE AND REGIONAL RESETTLEMENT. IT IS ESTIMATED THAT WITHOUT THE BRITISH INITIATIVE, RESETTLEMENT FROM HONG KONG THIS YEAR COULD HAVE BEEN LESS THAT 2,000.
4. AS A RESULT, THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT HAS BEEN ABLE TO CLOSE DOWN CAPE COLLINSON CLOSED CENTRE AND TO REDEPLOY THE CORRECTIONAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT (CSD) STAFF. PLANS ARE ALSO WELL UNDER WAY TO COMBINE THE TWO OPEN CENTRES AT JUBILEE AND KAI TAK INTO ONE IMPROVED OPEN CENTRE AT KAI TAK. WORK WILL BE COMPLETED IN JANUARY NEXT YEAR, WHEN JUBILEE WILL CLOSE. THE RESULT WILL BE A CONSID- ERABLE FINANCIAL SAVING (OF THE ORDER OF 6.5 MILLION DOLLARS PER ANNUM) FOR THE UNHCR WHICH IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF
THE OPEN CENTRES.
5. BUT THIS SUCCESS HAS BEEN ERODED BY INCREASED ARRIVALS THIS
YEAR.
AT THE END OF OCTOBER, 1,943 REFUGEES HAD ARRIVED COMPARED TO 968 DURING THE SAME PERIOD IN 1985. THE MAJORITY OF THOSE ARRIVING (53 PERCENT) ARE FROM NORTH VIETNAM, WHEREAS PREVIOUSLY THEY REPRESENTED ONLY 27 PERCENT OF ARRIVALS. NEVERTHELESS, AT PRESENT THE REFUGEE POPULATION IN HONG KONG AT ABOUT 8,200 IS THE LOWEST RECORDED THIS DECADE.
6.
NORTH VIETNAMESE ARE PARTICULARLY HARD TO RESETTLE BECAUSE NEITHER THE AMERICANS NOR AUSTRALIANS (WHO BETWEEN THEM ACCOUNT FOR TWO-THIRDS OF THE OFFTAKE FROM HONG KONG) ARE WILLING TO ACCEPT THEM. ALSO THESE TWO COUNTRIES DO NOT CONSIDER MANY OF THOSE ARRIVING IN HONG KONG TO BE REFUGEES FLEE ING FROM PERSE- CUTION. MANY OF THOSE ARRIVING ADMIT THAT THEY ARE LEAVING VIETNAM IN SEARCH OF A BETTER STANDARD OF LIVING FOR THEMSELVES OR
THEIR CHILDREN.
7. WE HAVE BEEN CONCERNED THAT THE SLIGHT INCREASE IN DEPARTURES THIS YEAR MIGHT HAVE BEEN RESPONSIBLE FOR THE INCREASED ARRIVALS. IMMIGRATION DEPARTMENT STAFF HAVE INTERVIEWED THOSE ARRIVING HERE AND ARE SATISFIED THAT THE REASONS FOR THEIR DEPARTURE ARE CONDITIONS IN VIETNAM RATHER THAN ANY SPECIFIC ATTRACTION OR 'PULL' FROM HONG KONG. HONG KONG APPEARS TO HAVE ATTRACTED A GREATER NUMBER MAINLY BECAUSE MANY REFUGEES FEEL THAT CONDITIONS IN THE CLOSED CENTRES IN HONG KONG ARE MORE ATTRACTIVE THAN IN ANY OTHER REFUGEE CAMPS IN THE REGION AND MUCH MORE ATTRACTIVE THAN CONDITIONS
Tin VIETNAM.
2
CONFIDENTIAL
HONG KONG'S
HONG KONG'S POLICY ON SCREENING AND REPATRIATING ARRIVALS FROM
VIETNAM
8*
ON 15 JANUARY 1985, MEMBERS CONSIDERED XCC (85)4 WHICH PROPOSED THAT FROM A DATE TO BE DECIDED, ALL NEW ARRIVALS FROM VIETNAM SHOULD BE SCREENED TO DETERMINE THOSE WHO WERE REFUGEES AND THOSE
WHO WERE NOT. THE SCREENING PROCESS WOULD BE SUBJECT TO APPEAL TO AN INDEPENDENT AUTHORITY (POSSIBLY UNHCR) AND WOULD BE MONITORED BY THE UNHCR. THOSE FOUND NOT TO BE REFUGEES WOULD BE REPATRIATED
TO VIETNAM PROVIDED THAT THE GOVERNMENT OF VIETNAM WOULD ACCEPT
THEM AND THEY WOULD NOT BE TREATED INHUMANELY ON THEIR RETURN. THE RELEVANT EXTRACT FROM GCC (85)4 IS AT ANNEX A AND MEMBERS
ADVISED AND THE GOVERNOR ORDERED:
9.
(A)
THAT THE POLICY ON REPATRIATION, OUTLINED IN PARAGRAPH 14 OF THE MEMORANDUM, SHOULD BE ENDORSED IN PRINCIPLE, SUBJECT TO FURTHER CONSULTATION WITH HMG: AND
(B) THAT THE POLICY ON THE INTRODUCTION OF A SCREENING
PROCEDURE, OUTLINED IN PARAGRAPHS 15-21 OF THE MEMORANDUM, SHOULD NOT BE INTRODUCED, BUT, AS PROPOSED IN PARAGRAPH 22 OF THE MEMORANDUM, SHOULD BE RECOMMENDED FOR INCLUSION AS A FUTURE POLICY OPTION IN THE SUBMISSION TO MINISTERS ON THE
VIETNAMESE REFUGEE PROBLEM NOW BEING PREPARED BY THE FCO.
MINISTERS HAVE CONSIDERED REPATRIATION ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. IN LATE 1985 THEY CONSIDERED THAT THE TIME WAS NOT RIGHT FOR AN APPROACH TO THE VIETNAMESE ON THIS MATTER. THEY CONSIDERED THAT THE CHANCES OF SUCCESS WERE SLIM AND THAT PUBLIC OPINION IN THE
UNITED KINGDOM WOULD NOT SUPPORT SUCH AN APPROACH.
10. SINCE 1985, ON THE THAI/LAOTIAN BORDER, THE ROYAL THAI GOVERNMENT HAS BEEN SCREENING THOSE ARRIVING INTO REFUGEES AND NON-REFUGEES UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF THE UNHCR WITH WHOM APPEALS MAY BE LODGED. ALTHOUGH THE GOVERNMENT OF LAOS HAS AGHEED IN PRINCIPLE ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS TO ACCEPT THE NON-REFUGEES FOR REPATRIATION, NONE HAVE YET BEEN REPATRIATED. BUT THE EFFECT OF THE SCREENING ALONE HAS DRASTICALLY REDUCED ILLEGAL MOVEMENTS
ACROSS THE MEKONG RIVER.
11. DURING THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEETING OF THE UNHCR IN GENEVA IN EARLY OCTOBER THIS YEAR, MANY DELEGATES REFERRED TO THE NEED TO RE-EXAMINE THE UNHCR'S 1951 DEFINITION OF REFUGEE STATUS IN THE LIGHT OF CONTEMPORARY ILLEGAL MASS MOVEMENTS. IN THE MARGINS, THERE WAS CONSIDERABLE DISCUSSION ON SCREENING, FOCUSSING IN PARTICULAR ON HOW THOSE SCREENED OUT SHOULD BE TREATED. BUT THE UNHCR DOES NOT SUPPORT THE CONCEPT OF INVOLUNTARY REPATRIATION AND THE VIETNAMESE GOVERNMENT HAS INDICATED THAT IT WILL ONLY CONSIDER
REPATRIATION ON A CASE-BY-CASE BASIS.
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