17 November 1988
(221
мко 2431IS
The
vietnamese Boat People in Hong Kong
Vietnamese boat people
people influx to Hong Kong has - worsened dramatically since
dramatically since I last wrote
I last wrote to both Houses of the in January UK Parliament
1987. Today we have a refugee 15,552 which represents population of 15,552 which
a 93%
93% increase over the figure of 8,059 in January 1987. In addition, we have another 9,547 Vietnamese boat people who have arrived but whose refugee status or otherwise has yet to be ascertained.
The record
record of UK's acceptance of Vietnamese refugees
been disappointing. Kong has has taken less
Over
from Hong
the past five years, UK
than 1,000 Vietnamese refugees from Hong Kong whereas during the same period, the United States and five Canada had each
each resettled 5,497 and 4,958 respectively times that of the UK - while Australia took in more than 2,500. need not draw on further statistics to show why resettlement countries are finding it increasingly difficult to justify the
of
from refugees more
when acceptance
Hong Kong
UK, sovereign state, has only managed to take in so few.
I
influx The
the
and the lack of adequate resettlement to introduce 3 number of new
We have since 16 June 1988,
7
forced the Hong Kong Government leasures to tackle the problem. stopped granting refugee status automatically to Vietnamese boat As a parallel measure, we have people arriving in Hong Kong.
the for
refugees liberalization Programme
However, these measures will Currently kept at closed centres.
in increasing the be effective
to encourage
not
started
takes it
lead
unless the UK takes a
for resettlement 20 35 resettlement countries to accept the remaining refugees.
number
other
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