TNAG-1793-FCO40-2553-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-repatriation--including-Opera-1988 — Page 239

CONFIDENTIAL

121244

MDHOAN 7838

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.

(P)

·

IT

(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.

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

A. NUMBER OF ARRIVALS AND DEPARTURES

1979

1980

1981 -

1982

1983

1984

1985

1986

1987

1988

(TO 6 JUNE)

68,748

24,377

6,748

37,468

8,470

17,818

7,836

9,247

3,651

4,200

2,230

3,694

1,112

3,953

2,055

3,816

3,395

2,212

6,291

1,132

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

OVER 8 YEARS

720

7-8 YEARS

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

LESS THAN 1 YEAR

7,836

HOWE

YYYY

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CONFIDENTIAL

Jack Da