TNAG-1800-FCO40-2560-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-principle-of-first-asylum-1988 — Page 262

CONFIDENTIAL

CONFIDENTIAL

FM FCO

TO PRIORITY HONG KONG

TELNO 1088

OF 28130OZ APRIL 88

HUD 243/11

INFO PRIORITY WASHINGTON, UKMIS GENEVA

эхо

144623

MDLOAN 6707

TOP COPY

Q DIST ?

VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE: US REACTION TO DEVELOPMENTS ON POSSIBLE ASEAN

CONSENSUS ON LIMITING FIRST ASYLUM

1. WE HAVE BEEN INFORMED BY THE US EMBASSY HERE THAT THE US CONSULATE-GENERAL IN HONG KONG HAS BEEN INSTRUCTED TO MAKE THE FOLLOWING POINTS TO YOU CONCERNING FRENCH'S ATTEMPTS TO QUOTE CREATE REGIONAL CONSENSUS ON LIMITING FIRST ASYLUM UNQUOTE.

BEGINS

WE RECOGNIZE THE DIFFICULT PROBLEM THE HKG FACES WITH RESPECT TO INCREASING NUMBERS OF REFUGEES IN ITS CAMPS. HK'S PROBLEM IS DIFFERENT FROM THAT OF THE ASEAN COUNTRIES RECEIVING REFUGEES IN THAT A LARGE PERCENTAGE OF THOSE ARRIVING IN HK ARE INELIGIBLE FOR RESETTLEMENT UNDER THE CRITERIA OF THE MAJOR RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES. CONTRARY TO THE CASE IN HK, IN THAILAND WE HAVE FOUND (FROM THE ADMITTEDLY LIMITED SAMPLING THAT WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO MAKE), THAT MANY OF EVEN THE MOST RECENT ARRIVALS DO QUALIFY FOR OUR RESETTLEMENT PROGRAMS.

WE ALSO RECOGNIZE THAT OUR RESETTLEMENT OFF-TAKE FROM HK

DROPPED IN 1987. AS AMBASSADOR MOORE TOLD YOU LAST FALL, AND REITERATED TO THE UK CHIEF OBSERVER AT THE ICG MEETING IN OTTAWA IN EARLY APRIL, THE US WILL CONTINUE TO REVIEW THE BRITISH REQUEST THAT WE PROCESS P-6 REFUGEES FROM HK BASED ON THE UK PERFORMANCE IN INCREASING ITS LAMENTABLY LOW OFF-TAKE. HOWEVER, EVEN WITHOUT A SPECIAL EFFORT OF THAT SORT, WE ANTICIPATE A SOMEWHAT HIGHER LEVEL OF OFF-TAKE IN 1988.

WE HAVE ALSO CONTRIBUTED TO THE REDUCTION IN THE LONG-STAYER POPULATION IN HK IN AN ARRANGEMENT WHEREBY FRANCE HAS AGREED TO ACCEPT ADDITIONAL NUMBERS OF THEM FROM HK WHILE WE WILL TAKE EQUAL NUMBERS FROM THE PHILIPPINES THAT FRANCE WOULD OTHERWISE HAVE BEEN OBLIGATED TO TAKE. (FYI: WE ARE REFERRING HERE TO THE SWAP OF LONG-STAYERS FOR REFUGEES PICKED UP BY MERCY SHIPS GUARANTEED BY FRANCE. IN 1987, FRANCE TOOK AN ADDITIONAL 50 LONG-STAYERS FROM HK, AND THIS YEAR EXPECTS TO TAKE UP TO 100 UNDER THIS ARRANGEMENT.

THE STATUS OF FIRST

REFUGEE HAS DETERIORATED

END FYI.)

ASYLUM IN THAILAND FOR

SERIOUSLY THIS YEAR.

HAVE BEEN VERY ACTIVE IN ATTEMPTING TO RESTORE

INDOCHINESE

AS YOU KNOW

FIRST ASYLUM

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CONFIDENTIAL