TNAG-1801-FCO40-2561-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-resettlement-in-the-UK-1988 — Page 33

peop have landed in Hong Kong since 16 June.

disappointing, but not unexpected.

This is

It could be that many

of these arrivals set off before the new policy was

announced or before the news filtered through; or that

rumours of the imminent introduction of a tougher policy

prompted a surge of departures in an attempt to get in

before the change. I must therefore conclude that it is

too early to assess the deterrent effect of the new

policy on the basis of the figures so far.

4.

However, since the introduction of the new policy

at

least

(and on draft in part as a consequence of it) there has

been one welcome and potentially significant development.

The Vietnamese authorities have invited all the places of

first asylum to hold bilateral talks with them on

repatriation of non-refugees

an offer which we are of

But

course taking up. The talks will provide us with a good

opportunity to press the Vietnamese to take more

effective action to control illegal departures.

perhaps more importantly, the very fact that talks with

Vietnam on repatriation are taking place should help to

deter those who are contemplating leaving. This, and the

efforts which we and the Hong Kong Government are making

to publicise the new policy in Vietnam, should have a

significant cumulative effect on departure rates over

We shall continue to monitor the situation

time.

carefully.

5. On the question of whether a new commitment of 1,000

would be sufficient to elicit a substantial response from

others, the most convincing evidence for this is a

statement made to us by a very senior US official with