CONFIDENTIAL
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CONFIDENTIAL
FM OTTAWA
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELNO 892
OF 23223OZ DECEMBER 88
INFO PRIORITY WASHINGTON, HONG KONG
156
YOUR TELNO 3281 TO HONG KONG: RESETTLEMENT
SUMMARY
VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE: FURTHER
1. CANADIANS ARE ANNOUNCING TODAY THEIR IMMIGRATION TARGET FOR 1989. THIS WILL INCLUDE SCOPE FOR UP TO 1,800 REFUGEES FROM HONG KONG. WE HAVE BEEN WARNED THAT WE SHALL NOT SECURE A HIGHER
FIGURE BY MAKING REPRESENTATIONS.
DETAIL
2. ACTION TAKEN ON 23 DECEMBER WITH RYAN, DEPUTY DIRECTOR, ASIA AND PACIFIC PROGRAMS DIVISION, DEA. RYAN POSITIVELY WELCOMED THE UK INITIATIVE, WHICH COINCIDES WITH CANADIAN DECISION TO INCREASE BY 50 PER CENT THE QUOTA OF GOVERNMENT SPONSORED REFUGEES
FROM HONG KONG.
3.
RYAN SAID THAT THE IMMIGRATION MINISTER WAS TO MAKE A STATEMENT TO THE HOUSE THAT AFTERNOON SETTING CANADA'S OVERALL IMMIGRATION LEVEL FOR 1989 AT 150-160,000. THIS WOULD INCLUDE 13,000 GOVERNMENT SPONSORED REFUGEES WITH A REGIONAL SUB-TOTAL FOR SOUTH EAST ASIA OF 3,000. HONG KONG'S SHARE WOULD BE 900 (600 IN 1988). THERE WAS LIKELY TO BE A COMMENSURATE INCREASE IN THE QUOTA FOR GROUP AND FAMILY SPONSORED REFUGEES, WHICH WOULD PUSH HONG KONG'S OVERALL CEILING TO 1,500 - 1,800 REFUGEES FOR 1989.
ព
THE CANADIAN MISSION IN HONG KONG HAS BEEN INSTRUCTED TO GIVE GOVERNMENT A FULL BRIEFING ONCE THE MINISTER HAS MADE HER STATEMENT
IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS.
5. RYAN WARNED US THAT THE CANADIANS WOULD BE IMPERVIOUS TO REQUEST FOR ANY FURTHER INCREASE, GIVEN THAT HONG KONG'S HIGHER ALLOCATION CAME FROM WITHIN A STATIC REGIONAL TOTAL.
COMMENT
6. YOU WILL WISH TO CONSIDER WHETHER THE CANADIAN ACTION IS SUFFICIENT TO CONSIDER MODIFYING THE INSTRUCTIONS FORESHADOWED
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CONFIDENTIAL
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