TNAG-1802-FCO40-2562-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-resettlement-in-the-UK-1988 — Page 86

UNCLASSIFIED

HKD 243/12

111160

MDHOAN 1520

UNCLASSIFIED

FM FCO

TO FLASH HONG KONG

TELNO 3283

OF 220955Z DECEMBER 88

AND TO IMMEDIATE WASHINGTON, CANBERRA, OTTAWA, WELLINGTON

AND TO IMMEDIATE UKMIS GENEVA, BANGKOK, KUALA LUMPUR, JAKARTA AND TO IMMEDIATE MANILA, SINGAPORE, BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, PEKING AND TO IMMEDIATE EC POSTS

INFO PRIORITY HANOI

MIPT: VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE:

FURTHER RESETTLEMENT

FOLLOWING IS PASSAGE ON RESETTLEMENT FROM MR EGGAR'S STATEMENT IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS ON 22 DECEMBER:

BEGINS

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- I NOW TURN TO THE PROBLEM OF THE RESETTLEMENT OF THOSE BOAT PEOPLE IN HONG KONG WHO ENJOY REFUGEE STATUS. IT IS IMPORTANT THAT THEY FIND HOMES IN THE MAJOR RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. IN THE MEANTIME AS I HAVE ALREADY INDICATED, THE CAMPS IN WHICH THEY ARE ACCOMMODATED ARE BEING OPENED UP AND A

NEW CAMP IS BEING BUILT.

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THERE ARE NOW SOMETHING OVER 15,000 VIETNAMESE IN HONG KONG WHO ARE RECOGNISED AS REFUGEES. FOLLOWING THE CHANGE OF POLICY INTRODUCED ON 16 JUNE, THEY REPRESENT WHAT IS ESSENTIALLY A RESIDUAL PROBLEM. OF THE MORE RECENT ARRIVALS FEW SEEM LIKELY TO MEET THE ESTABLISHED INTERNATIONAL CRITERIA TO BE CONSIDERED AS REFUGEES, AND I HAVE ALREADY GIVEN THE HOUSE THE SCREENING FIGURES.

WE HAVE PLAYED A MAJOR PART OVER THE YEARS IN RESETTLING VIETNAMESE REFUGEES FROM HONG KONG DESPITE THE HEAVY IMMIGRATION PRESSURES WHICH WE FACE FROM MANY OTHER SOURCES. WE ARE DEEPLY GRATEFUL TO THOSE OTHER GOVERNMENTS WHO ARE CONTINUING TO MAKE THEIR OWN CONTRIBUTION BY RESETTLING SUBSTANTIAL NUMBERS FROM

HONG KONG.

WE BELIEVE THAT THE TIME HAS NOW COME FOR A MAJOR INTERNATIONAL EFFORT TO TACKLE THIS RESIDUAL PROBLEM. WE ARE PREPARED IN PRINCIPLE TO CONTRIBUTE TO THAT EFFORT, BY TAKING A FURTHER 1,000 VIETNAMESE REFUGEES FROM HONG KONG OVER TWO TO THREE YEARS, PROVIDED THAT OTHERS ARE PREPARED TO CONTRIBUTE COMMENSURATELY.

-

THE 1,000 WOULD INCLUDE RELATIVES OF VIETNAMESE ALREADY HERE

AND OTHERS WITH THE POTENTIAL QUICKLY TO BECOME SELF-SUFFICIENT

IN THE UNITED KINGDOM, TOGETHER WITH SOME WHO HAVE BEEN IN THE

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