TNAG-1802-FCO40-2562-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-resettlement-in-the-UK-1988 — Page 162

CONFIDENTIAL

4.

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The principal resettlement countries are letting

Hong Kong slip down their list of priorities even though it has the largest population of boat people in the

region. In our contacts with them these countries in

particular the US, Canada and Australia (who between them

have taken some 90,000 refugees from Hong Kong over the years) have made it clear that they look to us, as the country with direct responsibility for Hong Kong, to take a lead. Without going as far as to give us guarantees as

to how they would respond to an initiative from us (and

we could not expect this), representatives of these

countries has given us reason to believe that their own

resettlement programmes from Hong Kong might nonetheless be increased if we were to make a move that they

considered to be commensurate with the scale of the

problem and with our special responsibility for

Hong Kong.

5. We also face substantial pressure from public opinion in Hong Kong, where the burden of this 13 year old

problem is considerable (I have just received a letter

from Lydia Dunn on behalf of all Executive and

Legislative Councillors which has gone to all members of both Houses of Parliament ). There is significant parliamentary and public concern in this country that we

should do more. We have been reluctant to make a further commitment until now, principally because of the continuing flow of refugees into Hong Kong and the possible pull-factor of such a move. Now, however, following the introduction of screening and the

consequent delimitation of the scope of the problem, we judge that the time is right.

CONFIDENTIAL

/6.