TNAG-1795-FCO40-2555-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-repatriation--including-Opera-1988 — Page 204

CONFIDENTIAL

TOP COPY Q DIST ?

588

CONFIDENTIAL

FM HONG KONG

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

TELNO 2906

OF 020645Z AUGUST 88

HKD 243/8

RECEIVE

-2 1988

FFICER

MA

・ONSI

INFO PRIORITY PEKING, HANOI, UKMIS GENEVA

(587

YOUR TELNO 2007: VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE.

·

125366

MDHIAN 9096

THE TOTAL CLOSED CAMP POPULATION ON 2 AUGUST WAS 20,500 OF WHICH, 6945 HAVE ARRIVED SINCE 16 JUNE. (WE HAVE A FURTHER 2657 IN OPEN

CAMPS) THIS IS AN AVERAGE DAILY ARRIVAL RATE SINCE 16 JUNE OF 147

WHICH HAS PLACED A SEVERE STRAIN ON OUR STAFFING AND ACCOMMODATION

RESOURCES. WE ESTIMATE THAT BY THE END OF AUGUST THE TOTAL NUMBER

OF ARRIVALS SINCE THE INTRODUCTIONS OF THE NEW POLICY WILL BE APPROXIMATELY 10,000 AND THE TOTAL CLOSED CAMP POPULATION WILL BE OVER 23,000.

2. AS REGARDS MANPOWER THE CIVIL AID SERVICES AND CORRECTIONAL

SERVICES ARE ALREADY STRETCHED AND UNABLE TO TAKE ON ADDITIONAL CAMP STAFFING COMMITMENTS. FOR THE RUNNING OF ERSKINE CAMP, A NEW HOLDING CENTRE WHICH HAS BEEN PREPARED AS A MATTER OF SOME URGENCY AND OPENED ON 30 JULY, WE ARE THEREFORE USING A MIX OF REGULAR AND AUXILIARY POLICE. WE ESTIMATE THAT WE HAVE SPARE CAPACITY TO ACCOMMODATE APPROXIMATELY 2,000 NEW ARRIVALS WHICH AT THE PRESENT RATE WOULD LAST ABOUT 14 DAYS. IN ADDITIONAL WE CAN ACCOMMODATE UP TO 2000 ON FERRIES BUT IN THE EVENT OF A TYPHOON WE WOULD HAVE TO MOVE THESE PEOPLE TO ALREADY OCCUPIED SECURE SITES. WE ARE THEREFORE

PREPARING CONTINGENCY PLANS FOR ADDITIONAL EMERGENCY HOLDING

CAPACITY AND CONSIDERING THE NEED TO DEVELOP A NEW LARGE SCALE

HOLDING CENTRE. A NUMBER OF SITES HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED FOR THE NEW

HOLDING CENTRE BUT THE WORK WILL TAKE A MINIMUM OF 4 6 MONTHS

AND AT THIS EARLY STAGE WE ESTIMATE THAT THE COST WILL BE IN THE

ORDER OF DOLLARS 100 DOLLARS 120 MILLION. WE WOULD HAVE TO

SEEK APPROVAL FOR THESE FUNDS FROM THE FINANCE COMMITTEE AND I

THINK WE CAN EXPECT SOME RESENTMENT FROM MEMBERS.

3. WE HOPE TO BE IN A POSITION TO MAKE A DECISION ON THE NEW LARGE SCALE HOLDING CENTRE WITHIN THE NEXT WEEK OR SO BUT IN THE MEANTIME

WE WILL PRESS ON WITH PLANS TO ESTABLISH EMERGENCY HOLDING

FOR NEW ARRIVALS. WE WILL OF COURSE KEEP YOU INFORMED OF DEVELOPMENTS.

CAPACITY