CONFIDENTIAL
ACC(88)40
6
Page
3
In the context of the last major review of the Vietnamese refugee situation in December 1987 [XCC (87) 179], Members agreed, inter alia, that the Hong Kong Government should consider relaxing its criteria for local settlement and introduce the concept of 'HK refusal'. This would mean that those who refuse settlement in Hong Kong would have little chance of resettlement elsewhere. The present memorandum sets out in detail the problems encountered by the present local settlement programme and propose ways to overcome these.
Problems Identified
7
Aside from personal reasons, the major obstacles to local settlement are as follows
(a)
(b)
Hopes of overseas resettlement
Although the refugees who are offered local settlement have been told firmly by the UNHCR that they have virtually no chance of being resettled elsewhere, most refugees are not prepared to accept this as a fact. They cling to the hope
hope that
that resettlement countries may change their resettlement criteria or that a close relative may be found in another country to provide a new link for resettlement. The fact that these circumstances, though rare, do sometimes happen, reinforces their hopes. addition, they reason that even if, at the end of the day, they are not offered overseas resettlement,
resettlement, Hong Kong will have to take them. Thus it is in their interest to keep their options open for the time being.
Restrictive criteria
In
The
criteria
effectively
limit
consideration for local settlement to refugees in the open centre. There are long-stayers and ethnic Chinese (or ethnic Vietnamese with family living in Hong Kong) in the closed camps. There are also many refugees in the closed camps who do not fulfil the resettlement criteria of any other
There are refugees in closed camps who could become, given the opportunity, financially independent
country.
because of skills or aptitudes they have or have acquired.
CONFIDENTIAL
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