TNAG-1542-FCO40-2106-United-Nations-High-Commissioner-for-Refugees-(UNHCR)-Execut-1986 — Page 374

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4.

H

The White Paper also announced that, depending on the

willingness shown by other resettlement countries to respond to Hong Kong's needs and on all the circumstances at the time, HMG would be prepared to consider accepting

further limited numbers from Hong Kong. We are considering

with the Home Office whether HMG may accept such a further limited number". It is unlikely that the issue will be

resolved before ExCom. The Hong Kong Government indicated

that it would also be prepared to absorb limited numbers

from the camps, if there was a positive international

response to our diplomatic campaign. There was such a

response, and Hong Kong is now absorbing up to 250 more refugees, drawn from the longest- staying ethnic Chinese.

Alternatives to Resettlement

5.

We are concerned about the reluctance of some of the

main resettlement countries to accept as refugees from Hong

Kong camps those whom they consider

consider to have left Vietnam

for economic rather than political reasons; and about the

implications for Hong Kong of a resultant decline in the

rate of resettlement whilst the flow of new arrivals in

Hong Kong from Vietnam is continuing. In order to explore what alternatives to resettlement in the West might exist,

we have approached members of the "Inter-governmental Committee" (IGC) (or "Honolulu Group"). This comprises the

main resettlement countries (the US, Australia and Canada), Japan and the UNHCR, and meets periodically in Geneva for informal discussions on refugee and resettlement matters.

6.

We understand that recently the Group have addressed

the same concerns as ourselves.

An Australian paper

discussed at the last meeting of the Group (in June) drew

attention to:

(a) the continuing outflow from Vietnam;

CONFIDENTIAL