TNAG-1534-FCO40-2098-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-repatriation-1986 — Page 10

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fleeing their countries reflect economic concerns rather than fear of persecution. Following on from this is a feeling that avenues for resettlement be closed or made more difficult for "economic refugees" or "migrants" in order not to prejudice the resettlement opportunities for statute refugees. (A note on the definition "refugee" under international law and current usage of the term is at Appendix B.)

6. Efforts so far have been concentrated on reducing the incentive for Indo-Chinese to flee their countries. The 1979 conference sought to ensure that the Vietnamese Government took measures to restrict the outflow. The Thai Government has operated a policy of "humane deterrence" under which new arrivals were placed in camps to which UNHCR and resettlement agencies had no access. Only after a given period did they become eligible for resettlement. The Hong Kong Government introduced the system of closed camps in 1982 in order to deter refugees from making for Hong Kong. This was coupled with a policy of offering boat arrivals the option of taking on fresh supplies and continuing their journey. Since 1985, UNHCR under the Thai Government have operated a programme of screening those seeking to enter Thailand from Laos to determine their true status. Those "screened out" as economic migrants are still awaiting return to Laos. There are reports of the Thais pushing Lao back across the border and also of Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia pushing refugee boats back out to sea. More recently, the Thai Government in August 1986 threatened to reclassify a number of "refugees" and move them to the "displaced persons" camps on the border, in part to deter further inflows as well as to step up pressure for the resettlement rate to be increased."

This cock-shy redraft takes in some points from your present paragraph 6. You might wish to reconsider how best to re-order this complete section.

Robert Cawt

CC:

Mr Barton, HKD

Mr Trevan, UND

Mr Fletcher-Cooke, FED

Mr Hill, Legal Advisers

Mr Clark, RD/FE

Mrs Morphet, RD/Int

Miss Kazer, Rd/SSEA

Mr Newcomb, Information Dept

CODE 18-77

AWO Ltd. 7/84

RC2ADC

R V Court

SEAD

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