TNAG-1794-FCO40-2554-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-repatriation--including-Opera-1988 — Page 251

FCO40 Hong Kong Department Records 聯邦事務部香港部檔案 All

CONFIDENTIAL

HKD 24318

419

004634

MDLIAN 8816

CONFIDENTIAL

FM THE HAGUE

TO ROUTINE FCO

TELNO 262

OF 29093OZ JUNE 88

INFO ROUTINE HONG KONG,

3

HANOI

راہی

INFO SAVING UKMIS GENEVA, EC POSTS, PEKING

382

TOP COPY Q DIST ?

YOUR TELNO 143: VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE: CHANGE OF POLICY

1. WE TOOK UP THE POINTS IN TUR WITH DEN HOND, HEAD OF THE MFA DEPARTMENT FOR ASYLUM MATTERS (AND THE IMMEDIATE SUPERIOR TO

VAN DER HEIJDEN WITH WHOM WE HAD TAKEN ACTION ON YOUR TELNO 132).

DEN HOND AGAIN PUT THE VIEW THAT RESETTLEMENT OF MORE REFUGEES

COULD SEND THE WRONG SIGNALS. WHILE PUBLICLY COMMITTED TO FOLLOWING THE UNHCR'S PRIORITIES, THE DUTCH WOULD THEREFORE PRIVATELY TRY TO DISSUADE THE UNHCR FROM A FURTHER APPEAL TO TAKE

MORE VIETNAMESE RESETTLEMENT CASES.

2. DEN HOND POINTED OUT THAT UNEMPLOYMENT AMONG VIETNAMESE IN THE

NETHERLANDS WAS AROUND 80% AND SUGGESTED THAT IN THE LONGER TERM

VOLUNTARY REPATRIATION OF REFUGEES ALREADY IN WESTERN EUROPE

MIGHT ALSO NEED TO BE CONSIDERED.

3. DEN HOND SAID HE IMAGINED THAT VIETNAM WOULD BE LOOKING

FOR SOME FORM OF ASSISTANCE BEFORE AGREEING TO TAKE RETURNEES.

HE HOPED MBTHAT THE WHOLE QUESTION COULD BE COORDINATED IN A COMMUNITY CONTEXT.

JENKINS

FCO PLEASE PASS TO SAVING ADDRESSEES

YYYY

ΜΑΙΝ

36

MINIMAL

HKD

SEAD

DISTRIBUTION

49

UND

LEGAL ADVISERS

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