TNAG-1790-FCO40-2550-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-resettlement-in-third-countri-1988 — Page 219

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VIETNAMESE REFUGEES: RESETTLEMENT IN JAPAN

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11/4/88

1.

In the

Japan's record on resettlement of Vietnamese refugees from Hong Kong is disappointing since 1975 they have only taken 246.

last few years numbers are as follows:

-

1984

34

1985

52

1986

1987

5

23

Japan does, however make a substantial financial contribution to

UNHCR Costs in South East Asia.

2. The problem in Hong Kong is deteriorating due to an increase in arrivals and a decrease in departures: the number of Vietnamese refugees in Hong Kong has increased as follows

end 1986

8039

end 1987

9532

end March 1988

9576

3. At the 11 January meeting between the Secretary of State and Mr Uno, Japanese Foreign Minister, in Tokyo, the Secretary of State pressed Japan to take more refugees. Mr Uno gave the encouraging response that the Japanese government would be ready to accept more Hong Kong refugees. The problem was that they received few applications from refugees wishing to come to Japan, perhaps due to language barriers and because they favoured other countries like the

He said the Japanese Government would make efforts to take as many Vietnamese refugees from Hong Kong as possible.

USA.

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