TNAG-1534-FCO40-2098-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-repatriation-1986 — Page 116

CONFIDENTIAL

33. We need to initiate to initiate

discussions with the Home Office

on the issues involved as

letter to the Home Office

is likely,

soon.

If, as

soon as possible. My draft

proposes that officials meet

Home Office officials respond

negatively, an approach at Ministerial level will be needed. We may in the end have no option but to take a proposal for a new UK offtake to H Committee.

34.

In the light of our exchanges with the Home Office at

official level I will submit to Ministers as early as

possible any recommendations for further action.

сбо

8 July 1986

CO Hum

Hong Kong Department

1. I fear this submission is very lengthy. It boils down

to the fact that:

2.

i) the refugee inflow to Hong Kong will not simply

cease: indeed it shows signs of growing;

ii)

resettlement has had a temporary boost as a

result of our own (small) increase and the

diplomatic effort we were able to mount on the back

of it; but "compassion fatigue" will get worse. There are already signs that American resettlement from Hong Kong next year will be considerably less

than for the current period.

There are no easy options. Somehow we must find ways

of stemming the outflow from Vietnam. Involuntary repatriation is highly unattractive (and was considered by Ministers last

year to be politically unacceptable). But we must, I think,

wd UNHER get together now with other countries to see whether a distinction can be made between genuine refugees and economic migrants. We shall then have to seek ways of either ensuring that the latter group do not leave Vietnam or that they are

s/to

/sent

CONFID mar