GRS 700
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 2515
Confidential
OF 050855Z AUGUST 86
TOP COPY Q DIST ?
INFO IMMEDIATE CANBERRA, UKMIS GENEVA, HANOME BANGKOK-
INFO IMMEDIATE KUALA LUMPUR
12
HKK 243/11
REGISTRY
27 AUG 1986
DECK OF FOR.
INDEX
PA
REGISTRY Aion Taken
OUR TEL 2237 : WETNAMESE REFUGEES
WE HAVE RECENTLY ALSO HAD A MEETING WITH THE AUSTRALIHAN CONSUL
GENERAL TO DISCUSS OUR VIETNAMESE REFUGEE PROBLEM. WE POINTED OUT
TO HER THE DIFFICULTHES WE HAVE BEEN FACING WITH SO LARGE A NUMBER
OF THE VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE STILL STRANDED HIN HONG KONG (HONG
KONG HAVHING THE SECOND LARGEST POPULATION OF BOAT PEOPLE
AMONG ALL THE ASYLUM COUNTRIES #N THE SOUTH EAST ASIAN REGION)
AND THE CONTINUAL ARRIVAL OF NEW REFUGEES THIS YEAR AT A RATE MORE
THAN DOUBLE THAT OF LAST YEAR. WE SAID WE WERE MOST GRATEFUL
FOR THE ENCOURAGING RESPONSE GIVEN BY THE AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT TO
THE UK HAM-T-HATUVE AND HOPED THEY WOULD CONTINUE TO DO WHATEVER
THEY POSSIBLY COULD TO HELP HONG KONG REDUCE ITS REFUGEE POPULATION
2. IN REPLY MS. WENSLEY EXPLAINED THAT FOR FINANCIAL YEAR 1985-86
(RUNNING FROM JULY TO JUNE), AUSTRALIA HAD ACCEPTED A TOTAL OF 616 REFUGEES FROM HONG KONG, SLIGHTLY MORE THAN THE FIGURE THEY PROMISED
TO TAKE (M.E. 600 REFUGEES). SHE SAND THE QUOTE FOR FY 1986-87 WAS
NOT YET KNOWN BUT FROM ALL THE INDICATIONS, IT WAS LIKELY THAT
THE ORIGINAL QUOTA FOR 1985-86 PRIOR TO THE INCREASE OF 200
ADDITIONAL PLACES DUE TO THE UK HITHATHVE MIGHT BE MAINTAINED TO
GIVE A POSSMBLE OFFTAKE OF 400 FROM HONG KONG. SHE ALSO EXPLAINED
THAT THERE WOULD NOT BE SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN AUSTRALIMA'S
RESETTLEMENT POLICY REGARDING #INDO-CHINESE REFUGEES. THE AUSTRAL MAN
GOVERNMENT INTENDED TO KEEP THE PLANNING LEVEL FOR REFUGEES AND
SPECIAL HUMANITARIAN CASES #N FY 1986-87 UNCHANGED AT 12,000 TOG- ETHER WITH THE SAME CONTINGENCY RESERVE OF 2,000 AS FOR 1985-86.
3. WE SUGGESTED TO THE AUSTRALIAN CONSUL-GENERAL THAT IN VIEW OF
THE LARGE REFUGEE POPULATION AND THE NUMBER OF LONG-STAYERS MIN HONG KONG, IT WOULD BE OF GREAT HELP TO US OF AUSTRALYA COULD CONS-
HIDER TAKHING 200 MORE THAN THE ANHTCHPATED QUOTE OF 400 FROM HONG
KONG. WE POINTED OUT THAT THEIR MINISTER FOR (IMMIGRATHON AND ETHNIC AFFAIRS, MR. CHRIS HURFORD, WHEN COMMENTING ON THE UK HINTHATHIVE LAST YEAR, HAD MENTONED THAT AUSTRALIA WOULD INCCREASE HITS QUOTA FOR FY 1985-86 FROM 400 TO 600 AND POSSIBLY TO 800.
*N PRACTICE THE EXTRA 200 RESETTLEMENT PLACES HAD NEVER MATERIALISED.
WE HOPED THAT THE AUTRAL-HAN GOVERNMENT MIGHT AS IT WERE CARRY THE EXTRA 200 OVER TO THE COMING YEAR'S QUOTA BY TAKING 200 MORE TO MAKE UP A 1986-87 OFFTAKE OF 600. MS. WESNLEY PROMISED TO PUT THIS
POSSIBILITY TO CANBERRA BUT WAS NOT (NOT) OPTIMISTIC,
Confidential
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