TNAG-1789-FCO40-2549-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-general-1989 — Page 81

CONFIDENTIAL

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1. Numbers of Vietnamese boat people arriving in Hong Kong (and

other countries of first asylum such as Thailand and Malaysia) have

increased dramatically over the past years. In the first half of 1988 9,000 arrived in Hong Kong three times more than in the whole of 1987, four times more than in 1986 and eight times more than in

1985. The boat people population in Hong Kong rose from 8,000 to

25,000 between mid 1987 and mid 1988. From the mid-seventies until

June this year Hong Kong treated all boat people as refugees and

granted them asylum pending resettlement in countries such as USA,

Canada and Australia. However it became clear that most of the

increased case-load earlier this year did not meet internationally

recognised criteria for refugees: those arriving were for the most

part from the North of Vietnam, young, typically peasants or

fishermen. They clearly had had no connection with the pre-1975

Government of South Vietnam and were not fleeing persecution, but

simply saw the journey to Hong Kong as the first step on the road to

a better life in the West. In fact, these people had virtually no

prospect of settlement in the West. The traditional countries of

resettlement were not prepared to increase their uptake. There was

no room for them in Hong Kong, where public opinion resents the fact that illegal immigrants from China are repatriated within 48 hours. while those from Vietnam stay. The only prospect for the boat people was one of dismal years in camps in Hong Kong. The Hong Kong and British Governments were faced with a humanitarian potentially

humanitow open-ended problem not of their making, but to which they

nevertheless had to find a humane solution.

according

Lautor

2. The solution was to change the policy of automatic refugee» status to one of screening and repatriation to Vietnam of those

screened out. Since 16 June 1988 all Vietnamese boat people

arriving in Hong Kong are screened to determine whether or not they are refugees. This screening is carried out in accordance with UNHCR procedures. UNHCR is also involved in the appeals procedure. Those who are refugees are treated accordingly and join the queue

for resettlement in the West. Those who are not are treated in the same way as illegal immigrants anywhere: they are kept in closed camps pending their return to their country of origin sanbe

arranged,

3. The British and Hong Kong Governments and UNHCR have held

negotiations with the Government of Vietnam. The two

CONFIDENTIAL