TNAG-1537-FCO40-2101-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-resettlement-in-third-countri-1986 — Page 252

6.

A significant

improvement in Japan's performance in

resettling refugees from Hong Kong would be very well received, both in the region and internationally, and would

be a substantive contribution to solving a s ad regional

problem.

DEFENSIVE

7. (If difficulties of integration are cited) Appreciate

that Vietnamese may find it difficult to integrate into Japanese society. But this must apply in other countries

with cultures alien to Vietnam's, and some of these

Finland, The

absorb numbers

Netherlands and Norway

of

Vietnamese

-

refugees

eg

are continuing to

which are large If these countries can cope,

relative to their populations.

surely Japan can too?

8. (If asked which Japanese criteria we regard as tight)

The requirements that a head of family should have at least 6 years of schooling, and should have "job experience which may facilitate his employment in Japan", are ones which very

few of the refugees in Hong Kong who mostly come from

technologically backward argricultural communities

could

satisfy.

9.

-

(If pressed on UK's or Hong Kong's resettlement

performance). UK has already accepted 12,000 refugees from camps in Hong Kong, (of a total of 19,000 Indo-Chinese

refugees), and Hong Kong 646

UK was at a low ebb for most

(of 14,300). Resettlement in

(of 14,

of 1985 whilst our policy was

In first

under review the total for the year was 44.

6 uom

5

quarter of 1986, 346 were resettled in UK, and we expect to

continue to achieve a monthly resettlement rate of about 40

for some time. Hong Kong is to resettle some 250 more

refugees from the camps.