TNAG-1540-FCO40-2104-Further-resettlement-of-Vietnamese-refugees-from-Hong-Kong-i-1986 — Page 24

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CONFIDENTIAL

HKK Q43/11

RECLIVE

4 DEC 1986

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Subon Faken

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11/12

Verheettor An Outton'

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8/12 SEPS

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SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE HOME DEPARTMENT

PS/Mr Retan PS / Mr Eggar Mr Gillmore 7r Barrington

SEAD

UND.

Vietnamese Refugees in Hong Kong

اني

PA

hkk 243 11

1.

2.

Thank you for your minute of 12 November.

I share your view on the need for an integrated approach to the problem of the outflow from Vietnam: clearly, resettlement can no longer be the sole answer. We have been talking to other western governments and

UNHCR for some months now to explore the scope for a

multilateral approach. Our exchanges have, however, made little headway. The resettlement countries seem far from clear on where the way ahead lies. Their representatives in Geneva recently saw M. Hocké to encourage him to take a lead in formulating a new approach. Your and our recent

discussions with M. Hocké indicated that UNHCR may be

moving towards recognising a new group of migrants who are not true refugees. We shall try to persuade him to refine these thoughts, and examine with him and the resettlement countries what durable solutions beyond continuing resettlement can be identified for this new category. At present, so far as Vietnamese refugees are concerned, the alternatives to resettlement seem stark and unpromising. However energetically we pursue our wider approach and we shall do everything we can in that direction progress

will inevitably be slow.

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CONFIDENTIAL

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