TNAG-1910-FCO40-2714-Financial-assistance-from-the-UK-Government-to-Vietnamese-re-1989 — Page 175

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Miss Massen

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CONFIDENTIAL

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Mc For AG 15

Mr Hesweh 24/5

Mr. Crabbie, RMD

FCS/89/097

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Mc Colgin

SEMO

CHIEF SECRETARY TO THE TREASURY

1.

M. Blathonrat Rod Clother

rr. Brenton, www.

Vietnamese Boat People in Hong Kong

r/rk. Pall

Blitter Rs/pus

Mr. McLoren Mr. Gillmore

рк Caines

Me Ineton

rr. Manning

Manning

I am writing to inform you of the serious crisis in Hong Kong as a result of the rapid increase in the numbers of Vietnamese boat people arriving there. The situation is without precedent, for reasons which I describe below, and is likely to get a lot worse before it gets better. This will almost certainly mean that the Government will be faced with additional and inescapable funding requirements and it will be necessary for me to come to you, possibly at short

notice, for extra resources from the Reserve.

2.

The present position (on 19 May) is that there are now over 35,000 boat people in Hong Kong and more are arriving at an average rate of 300 per day. of those, some 14,000

have refugee status and are awaiting resettlement. The vast majority of people in this category arrived in Hong Kong before 16 June 1988, when, in an effort to deter the influx, a policy of screening all new arrivals was introduced to

distinguish genuine refugees from the rest. Arrivals since then have not been automatically given refugee status: they are detained to await screening. If they fail to meet the

necessary refugee criteria they must remain in detention until arrangements can be made for their return to Vietnam.

/3.

CONFIDENTIAL