TNAG-1791-FCO40-2551-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-repatriation--including-Opera-1988 — Page 13

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127551

MDHIAN 6986

THE RECENT ARRIVALS DO NOT QUALIFY FOR THEIR RESETTLEMENT PROGRAMME. AS YOU KNOW THEY HAVE ALSO SAID THAT THEY ARE NOT PREPARED TO MAKE AVAILABE ADDITIONAL PLACES UNDER THEIR P.6 SCHEME UNLESS THE UK INCREASES ITS OFFTAKE. THE CANADIANS HAVE SAID RECENTLY THAT THEIR INTAKE IS LIKELY TO DECREASE NEXT YEAR AND SUBSEQUENTLY UNLESS, AS THEY PUT IT, THE UK GIVES A CLEARER LEAD. THE AUSTRALIANS ARE REVIEWING THEIR POLICY. THEY HAVE HINTED AT A REDUCTION IN OFFTAKE FROM INDO-CHINA. IN SHORT THE RESETTLEMENT SITUATION IS BAD AND

GETTING WORSE.

7. IT IS BECOMING CLEAR THAT THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY IS NO

LONGER PREPARED TO MAAINTAIN A RESETTLEMENT PROGRAMME FOR VIETNAMESE

BOAT PEOPLE WHICH WILL KEEP PACE WITH THE NUMBER OF ARRIVALS OR

EVEN KEEP THE TOAL DOWN TO A TOLERABLE LEVEL. WITH SOME JUSTICE, RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES ARE BEGINNING TO SEE THE RESETTLEMENT PROCESS ITSELF AS PART OF THE PROBLEM, ARGUING THAT IT CREATES A PULL FACTOR. THE APPARENTLY UNENDING STREAM OF BOAT PEOPLE FROM VIETNAM ALSO SEEMS TO BE A DETERRENT TO GENEROUS RESETTLEMENT SCHEMES. THE HOME SECRETARY TOLD ME WHEN I WAS IN LONDON IN MARCH THAT IT WOULD BE EASIER FOR THE UK TO MAKE A FURTHER RESETTLEMENT OFFER IF THE

PROBLEM WAS FINITE RATHER THAN OPEN-ENDED. AGAIN WITH MUCH JUSTICE, RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES SEE MOST OF THE RECENT ARRIVALS AS DRIVEN BY

ECONOMIC MOTIVES RATHER THAN THE FEAR OF POLITICAL PROSECUTION.

8. LOCALLY THE CONTINUATION OF OUR PRESENT POLICY IS BECOMING INCREASINGLY UNPOPULAR. A RECENT PUBLIC OPINION POLL SHOWS THAT 65 PERCENT OF THE POPULATION WANT HONG KONG TO CEASE BEING A PLACE OF FIRST ASYLUM. THIS ASSESSMENT OF THE POPULAR MOOD IS BORNE OUT BY ALL OTHER REPORTS ON PUBLIC OPINION. MEMBERS OF LEGCO ARE BECOMING INCREASINGLY OUTSPOKEN ON THE ISSUE. ON ONE PRACTICAL PROBLEM MATTERS COULD SOON COME TO A CRUNCH. TO COPE WITH EXISTING NUMBERS, AND MAKE PRUDENT PROVISIONS FOR FUTURE ARRIVALS, WE NEED TO OPEN SOON A FOURTH CLOSED CAMP. MEMBERS OF LEGCO HAVE THREATENED NOT TO VOTE FUNDS FOR THIS IN THE FINANCE COMMITTEE. SUCH AN OBSTRUCTION BY THE FINANCE COMMITTEE OF A MAJOR GOVERNMENT

POLICY PROPOSAL WOULD BE UNPRECEDENTED. IT IS A SITUATION WHICH

I WOULD WISH, IF POSSIBLE, TO AVOID.

9.

FACED WITH THIS COMBINATION OF FACTORS CONTINUATION OF OUR

PRESENT POLICY HAS BECOME UNTENABLE.

10. IN LOOKING AT THE WAY AHEAD WE ARE NOW CONSIDERING A CHANGED POLICY UNDER WHICH, AS FROM A CERTAIN DATE (WHICH MIGHT HAVE TO BE SOON IF ARRIVALS CONTINUE AT THEIR PRESENT RATE) THE FOLLOWING

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