TNAG-1786-FCO40-2546-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-closed-camp-policy-1988 — Page 74

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8.

A RASRO (Rescue at Sea Resettlement Offers) Transit Centre was established in Hong Kong in May 1986 at the request of the UNHCR to help solve the problem faced by RASRO participating countries in resettling refugees rescued at sea within the normal guarantee period of 90 days. The scheme permits the transfer of overdue cases from other places in the region to Hong Kong so that more time is available for the resettlement processing of these cases. Refugees admitted to the RASRO Transit Centre are allowed to remain there for a maximum of 180 days and the number of RASRO cases using the centre at any one time is limited to 100. At present, there are 16 refugees in the Transit Centre. The cost o maintenance of these refugees is fully recoverable from the UNHCR.

9.

Nearly all (98%) of the arrivals since 1980 have been ethnic Vietnamese. This is in contrast with 1979, when only 27% of those who came to Hong Kong were Vietnamese and the rest Chinese. In addition, the number of refugees coming from the North is on the increase. In 1987, 70% of the total

arrivals were Northerners. It was 53% in 1986, 37% in 1985, 28% in 1984, 47% in 1983, 22% in 1982, 27% in 1981 and only 17% in 1980.

Births in Hong Kong

10. Since January 1979, a total of 5 709 births have been recorded to Vietnamese refugees in Hong Kong 1 074 in 1979, 1 224 in 1980, 637 in 1981, 376 in 1982, 727 in 1983, 552 in 1984, 412 in 1985, 359 in 1986, 320 in 1987 and 28 so far in 1988. In order to overcome ignorance of the need for family planning among the refugees, the Hong Kong Family Planning Association provides family planning advice in all refugee centres on a regular basis. The birth rate amongst Vietnamese refugee in Hong Kong is now 3.1% compared to 1.3% for Hong Kong as a whole.

Resettlement in Hong Kong

11. In addition to being a country of asylum, Hong Kong has also been a place of resettlement. Hong Kong has accepted for permanent settlement some 14 500 refugees and displaced persons from Indo-China since April 1975. Since 1975, 614 Vietnamese refugees were reunited with their relatives in Hong Kong. In 1979, 74 were reunited; in 1980, 109; in 1981, 93; in 1982, 52; in 1983, 12; in 1984, 18; in 1985, 41; in 1986, 10 and in 1987, 4. With effect from April, 1986, Hong Kong has also offered 20 local settlement places each month to refugees whose stay here has been prolonged. So far, 102 have been accepted under this scheme.

Resettlement Overseas

12. The rate of resettlement has been falling-37 468 in 1980; 17 818 in 1981; 9 247 in 1982; 4 200 in 1983; 3 694 in 1984; 3 953 in 1985; 3 816 in 1986 and 2 212 in 1987. 148 have been resettled so far in 1988. (Statistics showing the resettlement in various countries are at Appendix B.) In the face of this diminishing resettlement rate, the closed centre policy was introduced in July 1982.

13.

USA, Canada and Australia continue to be the main resettlement countries. The current intake for other resettlement countrics remains small. On 1 February, there were still 9 773 refugees awaiting resettlement overseas; 4 190 (43%) have already been here more than 3 years and 954 (10%) more than 7 years awaiting resettlement.