TNAG-1538-FCO40-2102-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-resettlement-in-third-countri-1986 — Page 27

VB1AXI(2)

CONFIDENTIAL

MEETING OF BRITISH AND FRENCH COORDINATORS:

VIETNAMESE REFUGEES IN HONG KONG

Essential Facts

General

7 NOVEMBER

1.

8,300

Vietnamese

in

resettlement; the

asy lum in South East Asia.

largest

long

resettlement

periods in

prospects:

Hong Kong

because

63%

have

been

refugees

number

of any

of

They are spending increasingly diminishing

more than

Hong Kong awaiting

place

first

of

there

3

years.

Recent Action by HMG

2.

The Government announced in September 1985:

some

(i) that HMG

500 refugees, mostly from Hong Kong, who have

relatives

will accept for resettlement

in

the UK but who

would

normally

for

fall outside the Home Office's criteria

family reunion cases;

(ii) that, depending

the willingness on

other

Hong

needs, Kong's

countries resettlement

HMG

to

are

shown by

respond

prepared

to

to

consider

from

would

accepting

Hong Kong.

further

limited

numbers

The Hong Kong

Government

also be

prepared

to absorb

limited

numbers

from the

camps.

(Hong

Kong

is

absorbing up to 250 more refugees.)

CONFIDENTIAL