TNAG-1536-FCO40-2100-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-resettlement-in-third-countri-1986 — Page 12

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UK/JAPANESE BILATERAL ON UN MATTERS: 30 JUNE 1986

ITEM C: HUMAN RIGHTS:

Background

General

VIETNAMESE REFUGEES IN HONG KONG

HKK 243/9

RECEIVED IN RÉGISTRY

27 JUN 1986

DES

INDEX

:

PA

Action Taken

76

1.

8,500 Vietnamese boat refugees are in Hong Kong awaiting

resettlement; the largest number of any place of first asylum in

South East Asia.

Hong Kong because

They are spending increasingly long periods in

of diminishing resettlement prospects: 64% have

been there more than 3 years. Hong Kong's rate of resettlement is the lowest of any place of first asylum in the region.

Recent Action by HMG

2.

The Government announced in September:

(i)

(ii)

that HMG will accept for resettlement some 500 refugees, mostly from Hong Kong, who have relatives in the UK but who

would normally fall outside the Home Office's criteria for family reunion cases;

that, depending on

the willingness shown by other

resettlement countries to respond to Hong Kong's needs, HMG are prepared to consider accepting

accepting further limited numbers

from Hong Kong.

The Hong Kong Government would also be

prepared to absorb limited numbers from the camps. Kong is absorbing up to 250 more refugees.)

(Hong

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