TNAG-1911-FCO40-2715-Financial-assistance-from-the-UK-Government-to-Vietnamese-re-1989 — Page 78

SECURITY CLASSIFICATION

Top Secret

CONFIDENTIAL

DSR 11C (Revised 5/87)

(c) Mandatory repatriation: per capita payments

Secret

Confidential

Restricted

Unclassified

PRIVACY MARKING

In Confidence

There is sufficient provision for per capita

payments for mandatory repatriation in the current

financial year (see paragraph 2-3 above). Our

agreement with the Vietnamese provides for per

capita payments of $620 (£388). On this basis the

sum we have set aside for the current financial year

would cover the non voluntary repatriation of about

3,000 people - an ambitious target. We estimate that

up to 40,000 boat people in Hong Kong will eventually

be screened out as non refugees. We hope that a

substantial number will volunteer to go back (in

which case per capita payments would fall to the

UNHCR). But we must plan on the worst case

assumption that all those screened out will have to

be returned compulsorily by means of a bilateral

programme and that payments of at least $620 per

person will be needed. On that basis, there could be

a requirement, spread over a number of years, for up

to £14 million, although our objective would be to

move away from per capita payments towards more

general assistance to the communities concerned.

would envisage instituting a review of the

We

arrangements during 1990 to consider whether they are

the most cost effective and appropriate way of

resolving the issue.

CONFIDENTIAL