CONFIDENTIAL
FM FCO
TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG
TELNO 983
OF 19140OZ APRIL 88
INFO IMMEDIATE UKMIS GENEVA
CONFIDENTIAL
HR@243/8
90
TOP COPY Q DIST ?
112367 MDHOAN 4365
MIPT: VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE IN HONG KONG DEVELOPMENTS IN THE
ICG
SUMMARY:
1.
WE JUDGE THAT THE ICG MEETING HELD ON 7-8 APRIL IN OTTAWA
WAS SIGNIFICANT IN TWO MAJOR RESPECTS:
(A) IT DEMONSTRATED THAT PARTICIPANTS WERE UNLIKELY TO OPPOSE
THE INTRODUCTION IN PLACES OF FIRST ASYLUM OF TOUGHER
DETERRENT MEASURES AGAINST THOSE ARRIVALS FROM VIETNAM WHO DO NOT MEET REFUGEE CRITERIA. THE AGREED QUOTE GUIDANCE
UNQUOTE INCLUDES PROMOTION OF THE CONCEPT OF SCREENING OF
NEW ARRIVALS AGAINST REFUGEE CRITERIA. THIS WAS CLEARLY
SEEN AS NOT (NOT) INCONSISTENT WITH THE POLICY OF FIRST
ASYLUM:
(B)
THE DECREASING RESETTLEMENT PROSPECTS REPORTED BY THE US, AUSTRALIA AND EVEN CANADA ADD URGENCY TO CONSIDERATION OF
NEW INITIATIVES.
DETAIL:
2.
THE MAIN FOCUS OF THE MEETING WAS THE RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN THAILAND, IN PARTICULAR THE QUESTION OF PUSH-OFFS. THIS HAD CLEARLY CONCENTRATED THE MINDS OF PARTICIPANTS. THE MEETING AGREED ON A PAPER SETTING OUT GUIDANCE COVERING A RANGE OF
ACTIONS WHICH PARTICIPANTS WILL CONSIDER FURTHER ON AN INDIVIDUAL
BASIS. FOR HONG KONG THE MAIN POINTS TO EMERGE IN THE MEETING
WERE THE FOLLOWING:
(A) ON RESETTLEMENT: AUSTRALIA, CANADA AND THE US ARE ALL UNDER
PRESSURE TO RESETTLE FROM A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT SOURCES.
AUSTRALIA IS REVIEWING ITS IMMIGRATION POLICY. CURRENT
DRAFT RECOMMENDATIONS ARE FOR A MOVE AWAY FROM ACCEPTING
THOSE WHO DO NOT MEET REFUGEE CRITERIA AND TOWARDS
INCREASING INTAKES FOR MIGRATION AND FAMILY REUNION: AND FOR A SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION OF 1,500 NEXT YEAR IN THE CURRENT ALLOCATION OF 6,000 RESETTLEMENT PLACES FOR REFUGEES FROM INDO CHINA. THE US IS COMING UNDER SEVERE FINANCIAL CONSTRAINTS AND ENVISAGES A SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN OFFTAKE FROM INDO-CHINA IN 1989 FROM THE CURRENT YEAR'S FUGURE OF 29,500. QUITE APART FROM THE INDO CHINESE PROBLEM CANADA
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