TNAG-1610-FCO40-22132-Minutes-and-Hansards-of-the-Legislative-Council-of-Hong-Kong-1987 — Page 147

PROCEEDING SMOOTHLY.

CONFIDENTIAL

131372

MDHIAN 5278

VIETNAMESE REFUGEES

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147 WE ALSO HAVE A CONTINUING GROWING PROBLEM IN COPING WITH REFUGEES FROM VIETNAM. IT IS UNDERSTANDLY A MATTER OF GREAT CONCERN TO OUR COMMUNITY THAT THIS PROBLEM, WHICH REACHED DRAMATIC PROPORTIONS IN 1979, IS STILL WITH US. THE NUMBER OF REFUGEES ARRIVING FROM VIETNAM SO FAR THIS YEAR HAS INCREASED BY 38 PERCENT OVER THE SAME PERIOD IN 1986. THE NUMBER LEAVING FOR RESETTLEMENT HAS DECLINED BY 47 PERCENT. THIS IS A MOST UNSATISFACTORY SITUATION.

148. WITH THE CONTINUING HELP OF THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT AND THE UNITED NATIONS HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES, WH HAVE BEEN VIGOROUS- LY SEEKING MORE PLACES ON OUR BEHALF, WE WILL GO ON PRESSING THE RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES TO TAKE MORE REFUGEES FROM HONG KONG. BUT RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES HAVE BECOME VERY SELECTIVE IN CHOOSING WHOM THEY WILL ACCEPT. MOST NOW INSIST THAT THOSE THEY TAKE SHOULD HAVE CLOSE FAMILY CONNECTIONS WITH VIETNAMESE ALREADY SETTLED IN THEIR COUNTRIES. THIS MAKES IT VERY DIFFICULT TO RESETTLE MANY OF OUR REFUGEES. WE HAVE A PARTICULAR PROBLEM IN THAT AN INCREASING NUMBER OF THE ARRIVALS HERE ARE ETHNIC VIETNAMESE FROM NORTH VIETNAM WHO HAVE NO CONNECTIONS IN COUNTRIES OF RESETTLEMENT. MANY PEOPLE IN OUR CAMPS HAVE WAITED YEARS IN THE HOPE OF BEING RESETTLED. WE NOW HAVE THREE AND A HALF THOUSAND REFUGEES FROM VIETNAM WHO HAVE

BEEN HERE FOR MORE THAN 5 YEARS.

WILSON

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MR MCLAREN

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MR FIFOOT, LEGAL ADVISERS