TNAG-1793-FCO40-2553-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-repatriation--including-Opera-1988 — Page 199

Y

CONFIDENTIAL

124624

MDHOAN 7942

UNDER SUITABLE

THE RETURN OF THOSE WHO ARE NOT REFUGEES

SAFEGUARDS FOR THEIR TREATMENT ON RETURN. (FOR EC POSTS: THIS

POINT COULD BUILD ON THE EC/ASEAN FOREIGN MINISTERS JOINT DECLARATION AT THE 2 3 MAY DUESSELDORF MEETING, (REPORTED IN FCO 172 TO UKREP BRUSSELS.)

(N)

(FOR LISBON ONLY) SEEK COOPERATION OF MACAU AUTHORITIES IN ENSURING THAT ALL VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE ARE TOLD CLEARLY IF THEY LAND IN MACAU, THAT THEY SHOULD NOT ATTEMPT TO GO ON TO HONG

KONG WHERE THEY WILL BE TREATED ON ARRIVAL AS ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS

WHO HAVE NO CHANCE OF RESETTLEMENT.

DEFENSIVE

(P)

(WHAT RESETTLEMENT PLANS DO HMG HAVE? IF YOU TAKE MORE, WE WILL). AS YOU KNOW WE HAVE A CONTINUING RESETTLEMENT PROGRAMME OF 468 PLACES OVER THE TWO YEARS FROM MAY 1987. IT FOLLOWS FROM WHAT WE HAVE ALREADY SAID THAT WE RECOGNISE THAT

RESETTLEMENT REMAINS AN IMPORTANT ASPECT OF THE PROBLEM. WE ARE NOW EXAMINING ALL ASPECTS OF THIS PROBLEM.

BACKGROUND

NOTE

NUMBER OF ARRIVALS AND DEPARTURES

ARRIVALS

A.

DEPARTURES

1979

68,748

24,377

198U

6,788

37,468

1981

8,470

17,818

1982

7,836

9,247

1983

3,651

4,200

1984

2,230

3,694

1985

1,112

3,953

1986

2,055

3,816

1987

3,395

2,212

1988

7,118

1,174

(TO 1U JUNE)

B.

LENGTH OF STAY IN HONG KONG (AS AT END MAY)

OVER 8 YEARS

7-8 YEARS

720

251

6-7 YEARS

1,502

5-6 YEARS

743

4-5 YEARS

283

3-4 YEARS

214

2-3 YEARS

853

1-2 YEARS

1,298