TNAG-1534-FCO40-2098-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-repatriation-1986 — Page 147

GRS 550

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FM HONG KONG

TO ROUTINE FCO

TELNO 1637

OF 290155Z MAY 86

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FA 243/393/4

INFO ROUTINE UKMI'S GENEVA, CANBERRA, HANO, STOCKHOLM, OTTAWA

Exta

FOR HUM FROM JEAFFRESON.

N.T.

OUR TELNO 1567 : NVOLUNTARY REPARTRATTON"

THE PESSIMISTIC OUTLOOK IN CANBERRA'S TELNO 328 FOLLOWED A REUTERS

REPORT THAT IMMIGRATION MINISTER CHRIS HURFORD HAD SAID THAT

AUSTRALIA WOULD STOP GIVING PRIORITY TO VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE

BECAUSE AN INCREASING NUMBER WERE LEAVING VIETNAM FOR ECONOMIC

RATHER THAN FOR POLITICAL REASONS. HURFORD SAID THAT AUSTRALIA WAS

DETERMINED TO ENSURE THAT THE VERY SCARCE RESOURCES WHICH

AUSTRALIA HAD AVAILABLE TO RESPOND TO THE NEEDS OF GENUINE REFUGEES

WERE NOT ABUSED BY OTHERS WITH NO REAL CLAIM FOR REFUGEE STATUS.

HE ADMITTED THAT ECONOMIC CONDITIONS IN VIETNAM WERE EXTREMELY

BLEAK AND THAT PEOPLE HAD EVERY INCENTIVE TO LEAVE TO SECURE A BETTER FUTURE, BUT ARGUED THAT IT WAS TIME VIETNAM STARTED TO TAKE

PART IN THE WORLD COMMUNITY BY ALLOWING OTHER COUNTRIES TO HELP

WITH ITS REDEVELOPMENT.

2. AT HER REQUEST, FIRST SECRETARY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT CO-OPERATION OF THE SWEDISH MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS (CECILIA

HOGLUND) CALLED TO DISCUSS THE REFUGEE SITUATION IN HONG KONG. SHE

EXPLAINED THAT SHE WAS ENDING SEVERAL WEEKS IN HONG KONG DURING

WHICH SHE HAD OBSERVED THE WORK OF THE SWEDISH MISSION WHICH VISITED

HONG KONG RECENTLY AND ACCEPTED 96 REFUGEES FOR RESETTLEMENT. SHE

SPECIFICALLY ASKED ABOUT REPATRIATION. WE EXPLAINED THAT THE NUMBER

OF VOLUNTEERS HAD BEEN FEW AND THE CO-OPERATION OF VIETNAMESE

AUTHORITIES VERY POOR. SHE THEN ASKED ABOUT RETURNING THOSE WHO WERE

NOT REFUGEES. WE DREW ATTENTION TO OUR TREATMENT OF ILLEGAL

IMMIGRANTS BUT DECLINED TO BE DRAWN FURTHER ON VIETNAMESE REFUGEES.

WE THINK THAT THIS ALSO DEMONSTRATES A WILLINGNESS TO DISCUSS THIS

PROBLEM MORE OPENLY.

3. OUR INTERPRETATION OF THESE RUMBLINGS FROM THE AMERICANS, AUSTRALIANS, CANADIANS AND SWEDES IS THAT, ONCE THE RESPONSE TO THE UK INITIATIVE IS OVER, WE WILL EXPERIENCE CONSIDERABLE DIFFICULTIES OVER RESETTLEMENT. WE CAN THINK OF ONLY TWO RESPONSES

THAT MIGHT BE EFFECTIVE.

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