TNAG-1859-FCO40-2634-Legislative-Council-of-Hong-Kong-memoranda-and-minutes-of-me-1989 — Page 76

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increasing amounts of public

funds,

and uses increasing

amounts of scarce land, on housing and looking after a

seemingly endless stream of arrivals from Vietnam.

20.

Those who come here do not seek a home in Hong

Kong. Their goal is elsewhere: in particular, the United

States. But they have little

there, Or anywhere

prospect

else. Over

of ever getting

80% of the Vietnamese now

arriving in Hong Kong do not meet United States

resettlement criteria.

21.

During the past year, the Government has strongly

and consistently argued that the only solution to this

human tragedy is that those who are defined as refugees

must be resettled overseas, and those who do not meet these

criteria must go back to Vietnam. This is a view which is

shared by a number of voluntary agencies which have worked

closely with the Vietnamese, including Oxfam, Save the

Children Fund and the British Refugee Council. Hong Kong

has taken the lead in introducing a screening policy as a

first step towards putting this solution into effect. Our

lead has been followed elsewhere in South-East Asia and

now, most recently, by Japan.

most

/22. The

ST'd

£2

S'I'D 80:27 TT-AT-6861