CONFIDENTIAL
110526 MDHOAN 7592
VIETANMESE ON THIS AND TO PERSUADE OTHERS (PARTICULARLY ASEAN) OF
ITS IMPORTANCE. WE WILL BE DOING LIKEWISE. THIS IS A PROBLEM THAT
AFFECTS ALL SOUTH EAST
ASIA.
DEPARTURE AND SETTLEMENT SHOULD ONLY BE BY SAFE AND LEGAL
MEANS IE, ORDERLY DEPARTURE PROGRAMME. (M)
IT WILL BE IMPORTANT TO GET ACROSS IN VIETNAM THAT HONG KONG HAS
CHANGED ITS POLICY IN ORDER TO PREVENT THE CONTINUING OUTFLOW OF
THOSE HOPING TO BE TREATED AS REFUGEES. WE WOULD BE GRATEFUL FOR
ANY HELP WITH PUBLICITY ON VOICE OF AMERICA/RADIO AUSTRALIA TO
EMPHASIZE THAT THOSE ARRIVING IN HONG KONG, WHOSE REASONS FOR
LEAVING ARE ESSENTIALLY ECONOMIC AND WHO DO NOT MEET REFUGEE CRITERIA, WILL IN FUTURE WILL BE TREATED AS ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS AND RETURNED TO VIETNAM IN DUE COURSE.
ū
(N) AFTER THE INTRODUCTION OF THIS NEW POLICY, A MAJOR EFFORT TO RESETTLE THOSE REFUGEES ALREADY IN HONG KONG WILL BE REQUIRED.
WE HOPE THAT YOU WILL BE ABLE TO ASSIST IN
SUBSTANTIALLY REDUCING THE NUMBERS IN HONG KONG
OVER THE MONTHS AHEAD.
(0) AS A MAJOR RESETTLEMENT COUNTRY/MEMBER OF ICG, WE WISH YOU TO KNOW ABOUT THIS NEW POLICY IN ADVANCE. WE WOULD BE GRATEFUL
IF YOU WOULD TREAT THIS INFORMATION AS CONFIDENTIAL. OTHERWISE
THERE COULD BE A DANGER OF PRECIPITATING A FURTHER EXODUS OF
THOSE TRYING TO BEAT THE DEADLINE.
DEFENSIVE POINT:
(A) (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
A-
ARRIVALS
DEPARTURES
1979
68,748
24,377
1980
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
6,291
1,132
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CONFIDENTIAL
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