TNAG-1911-FCO40-2715-Financial-assistance-from-the-UK-Government-to-Vietnamese-re-1989 — Page 8

4.

This £4.5 million has now been transferred to the Hong Kong

Government and disbursed. It was used to pay for the hire of

ferries, the supply of tents and the construction of accommodation

at the Sek Kong, High Island and Whitehead camps.

5.

The Government is currently considering a request from the

Hong Kong Government for additional funds for further and improved

accommodation.

get

Ne

(B) REPATRIATION

6.

Mr Maude informed the House in answer to a written

Parliamentary Question on 28 July that the Government have made contingency plans to contribute up to £1.3 million towards the cost

of repatriating Vietnamese boat people from Hong Kong to Vietnam in this financial year.

7.

It was agreed by all the countries represented at the

International Conference on Indo Chinese Refugees in June that all

those who are determined, after screening, to be non refugees,

should return to Vietnam. We hope that substantial numbers will

volunteer to go back. But it is already clear that voluntary

returns alone cannot provide a comprehensive solution to the problem. There are now over 3,000 boat people in Hong Kong who have

been definitively screened out, of whom only 37 have volunteered.

No boat people would be returned without clear assurances from the Vietnamese authorities that they will not be punished or persecuted

on return, nor without monitoring arrangements to ensure that these

assurances were honoured.

8. The costs of any programme of non voluntary returns are likely

to be similar to those involved in the voluntary repatriation scheme

operated by the UNHCR. The costs of that scheme are estimated at

approximately US$ 1,000 per person. The funds would be used for the travel costs, clothing, essential equipment and a small amount of pocket money given direct to the individuals concerned. We expect

that the Hong Kong Government would be willing to contribute 50% of

the costs of the scheme and that HMG's contribution would thus be of

the order of US$ 500 per person.

/9.

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