TNAG-1534-FCO40-2098-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-repatriation-1986 — Page 43

CONFIDENTIAL

practice of the Hong Kong Government in repatriating

illegal Chinese immigrants from Hong Kong can generally

be considered a success. Several factors have

contributed to this:

ii:

Lome

(a) Although the policy has been distasteful to many

groups, including ethnic Chinese inhabitants of Hong

Kong and humanitarian bodies around the world, the

extent of the problem facing Hong Kong and the

limited room for manoeuvre of the Hong Kong Govern-

ment have been widely recognised;

Not really

\KAT!

(b) The policy has generally been carried out with the

agreement of the Chinese authorities, which share a

common interest in maintaining Hong Kong's stability

and have treated repatriated illegal immigrants

leniently;

(c) Operations to capture, hold and return illegal

immigrants have been undertaken in a low-profile

manner and the illegal immigrants themselves have

accepted their fate placidly.

7.

Policy with regard to Vietnamese refugees in Hong

Kong has also varied. From 1979 to date almost 100,000

Vietnamese entered Hong Kong as refugees.

they tended to

(originate

Initially,

to) be

nate from the South and to be of

Chinese stock. Since 1980, most have been ethnic

simficant

Vietnamese, with an increasing proportion hailing from

North Vietnam. Tensions and even outright clashes betwen

CONFIDENTIAL

110,000?

check!