TNAG-1536-FCO40-2100-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-resettlement-in-third-countri-1986 — Page 37

COLAOJ

CONFIDENTIAL

ATTORNEY GENERAL'S VISIT TO WASHINGTON: 29 JUNE-2 JULY

Background

General

VIETNAMESE REFUGEES IN HONG KONG

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. They are spending

increasingly long periods in Hong Kong because of

diminishing resettlement prospects: 648 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) 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;

to

to

(ii) that, depending on the willingness shown by

other resettlement countries to respond

Hong Kong's needs, HMG consider accepting further limited numbers

from Hong Kong.

are prepared

The Hong

Kong Government

absorb limited

(Hong

Kong

is

would also be prepared to

numbers from the camps.

now absorbing up to 250 more refugees.)

CONFIDENTIAL