TNAG-1534-FCO40-2098-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-repatriation-1986 — Page 146

GRS 450

CONFUNDENTHAL

FM HONG KONG

TO PRIORITY FCO

TELNO 1567

OF 220345Z MAY 86

INFO PRIORITY HANOW

FROM JE AFFRESON FOR HUM.

CONFIDENTIAL

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di it's cult o Wendle but smelt the it would be reached

If the idea was 5 be various purund.

VIETNAMESE REFUGEES : "NVOLUNTARY REPATRIATION.

FURTHER TO MY TELNO 1465 WE HAVE BEEN APPROACHED BY THE

AMERICANS AND CANADIANS. THE SUBJECT ALSO CAME UP WHEN THE

SECRETARY FOR THE AUSTRALIHAN DEPARTMENT OF MIGRATION AND ETHNIC

AFFAIRS WISITED HONG KONG THIS WEEK.

2. THE AMERICANS ASKED FOR AN INFORMAL MEETHING TO DISCUSS

INVOLUNTARY REPATRIATION. THEY EXPLAINED THAT, GIVEN THE DIMINISHING PROSPECTS FOR RESETTLEMENT AND THE PRESENT HIGH RATE OF ARRIVALS,

THEY THOUGHT THAT THAS SOLUTION WAS WORTHY OF FURTHER CONSIDERATION.

THEY MADE IT CLEAR THAT THEY WERE SPEAKING INFORMALLY ON BEHALF OF

THE USCG HERE. BUT WE GATHERED THAT THE OPPOSITION TO INVOLUNTARY REPATRIATION IN THE STATE DEPARTMENT LAST YEAR HAD REDUCED

CONSIDERABLY.

3. SEPARATELY, WE WERE MWITED TO LUNCH BY THE CANADIAN HIMMIGRATION OFFICIALS HERE. AFTER A BRIEF DISCUSSION ON THE PRESENT ARRIVAL

AND DEPARTURE RATE, WE WERE ASKED WHAT WE WOULD DO HF, SAY,' FILIPINOS ARRIVED A BOATS SEEKING TO LAND IN HONG KONG. THE CANADIANS ANSWERED THEIR OWN QUESTION BY SUGGESTING THAT WE WOULD RETURN THEM TO THE PHILIPPINES. WE AGREED. THEY THEN ASKED WHETHER WE HAD CONSIDERED INVOLUNTARY REPATRINATION ANY FURTHER. - . WE EXPLAINED THAT WE WERE CONSTANTLY CONSIDERING A WIDE RANGE

OF OPTHONS AND ASKED WHAT THE CANADIAN WIEW WOULD BE OF HONG KONG WERE TO PROPOSE MYOLUNTARY REPATRIATION. THEY SAID THAT THEY WOULD ENCOURAGE DISCUSSION OF THIS SUBJECT. THEY SAID THAT THE HINTERNATIONAL PRESUMPTION IN 1979 THAT ALL THOSE LEAVING VIETNAM BY BOAT WERE REFUGEES HAD TO BE RE-EXAMINED. THEY SAID THAT THIS COULD BEST BE DONE AT AN INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE. THEY SAMID THAT HIT MIGHT BE EVEN BETTER TO DISCUSS THIS AT A REGIONAL

་་

CONFERENCE. THEY FELT STRONGLY THAT THE ISSUE SHOULD BE DISCUSSED

OPENLY.

4. WE RAMSED THIS SUBJECT WITH THE AUSTRALIANS AT A RECEPTION.

THE SECRETARY FOR MIGRATION AND ETHMIC AFFAIRS SAND THE HE PERSONALLY FAVOURED THE #DEA BUT HE DID NOT THINK THE AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT

WOULD GIVE IT SUPPORT PUBLICLY.

YOUDE

LIMITED

США

78/5

HKD

SEAD

SIR W HARD ING

MR WILSON

CONFIDENTIAL