TNAG-1534-FCO40-2098-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-repatriation-1986 — Page 154

GRS 180

CONFIDENTIAL

FM HONG KONG

TO ROUTINE FCO

TELNO 1465

OF 130945Z MAY 86

INFO ROUTINE HANOI

Confidential

FOR HUM FROM JEAFFRESON

TO

12

TOP COPY

cc VKMs G

MY TELETTER OF 6 MAY: VIETNAMESE REFUGEES : INVOLUNTARY

REPATRIATION

ALSO RELEVANT IS THAT WE HAVE NOW BEEN INFORMED BY THE AMERICANS

HERE THAT THEY THINK THEY WILL SOON RUN OUT OF REFUGEES IN HONG

KONG WHO MEET THEIR RESETTLEMENT CRITERIA. WE REFERRED TO THIS

POSSIBILITY IN OUR TELNO 1357. WE HAVE SOME FURTHER INFORMATION.

243/5 4

2. THE AMERICANS HAVE CONDUCTED A CASE-BY-CASE REVIEW OF REFUGEES

WHO ARE CONSIDERED POSSIBLE CANDIDATES FOR RESETTLEMENT IN THE US.

THIS PRE-SCREENING IS DONE BY JVA AND USUALLY THE INS ACCEPTANCE

RATE IS HIGH (90 PERCENT). RECENTLY IT HAS DROPPED TO 53 PERCENT.

THEY NOW ESTIMATE THAT THEY WILL RUN OUT OF REFUGEES WHOM JVA

COULD SUBMIT TO HNS BY SETPEMBER THIS YEAR. THEREAFTER, ALTHOUGH

US RESETTLEMENT PLACES WILL CONTINUE TO BE AVAILABLE THE AMERICANS

HERE THINK THAT THEY WILL BE UNABLE TO FIND ELIGIBLE CANDIDATES

TO FILL THEM.

3. WE WILL PRESS THE AMERICANS TO RELAX THEIR CRITERIA, BUT ALTHOUGH THERE IS CONSIDERABLE SYMPATHY FOR HONG KONG IN THE US REFUGEE PROGRAMME, WE DOUBT IF THEY WILL BE ABLE TO HELP US UNLESS HMG CONTINUES ITS OFFTAKE FROM HONG KONG WHEN THE FAMILY

REUNION CASES ARE COMPLETED.

4. FACED WITH A SITUATION IN WHICH RESETTLEMENT IN UK HAS STOPPED AND US PLACES CANNOT BE FILLED, THE REMAINING RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES ARE UNLIKELY TO CONTINUE TO HELP ON THEIR PRESENT SCALE. OUR RESIDENT REFUGEE POPULATION WILL BEG ONCE AGAIN, TO GROW.

YOUDE

LIMITED

HKD

SEAD

UNO

PRV

PS/MMR RENTIN PS/MR EIGAR

SIR W HARDING MR WILSON

НИИ 243-5%** нии

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY

19 MAY 1986

DESK OFFICER

INDEX

REGISTRY

PA

Action Taken

THIS TELEGRAM WAS NOT

Confidential