TNAG-1802-FCO40-2562-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-resettlement-in-the-UK-1988 — Page 161

PM/88/

PRIME MINISTER

CONFIDENTIAL

DEJACM)

1.

Vietnamese Boat People in Hong Kong: Resettlement

There are now some 25,000 Vietnamese boat people in

Hong Kong. 9,500 of these arrived after the introduction

of screening on 16 June. But there have been very few arrivals since mid-September; the deterrent message of our new policy now seems to be getting through.

2.

The first results of screening indicate that very few indeed of the 9,500 new arrivals qualify as refugees. Our aim is that all these non-refugees should be repatriated to Vietnam; as you know, we have made a

reasonably encouraging start in our talks with the Vietnamese government.

3.

-

-

ie,

But those who do qualify as refugees essentially, the 15,500 who reached Hong Kong before screening started cannot be repatriated to Vietnam (unless they volunteer, which few are likely to do).

They must be resettled elsewhere. The current rate of

resettlement is now only 2,500 per 12 months. Even if

the present rate of resettlement could be sustained it

would take more than six years to resettle all those now in Hong Kong. That would be bad enough. But it is by no

means certain that even this slow rate of resettlement

can be sustained.

CONFIDENTIAL