TNAG-2022-FCO40-2884-Chinese-use-of-force-in-respect-of-Hong-Kong-1990 — Page 19

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meeting, in order to implement the "international safety net"

concept in a systematic way. Such a meeting would, however,

aggravate the confidence crisis, at least in the short term.

6. In the context of any international effort, urgent thought would

need to be given to the question of whether the individuals

concerned should be regarded as political refugees or economic

migrants. Those who could demonstrate a genuine fear of persecution

would be well placed to secure the right of settlement in other

countries as refugees. Those who could not demonstrate a genuine

fear of persecution and who were self evidently motivated by

economic reasons, would not fall into the refugee category and would

therefore be much more difficult to resettle.

7. In order to be in the best possible position to secure

assistance for non political refugees, we should begin now to build

up a body of information about the ways in which other countries

accept immigrants for non refugee reasons, eg as investors or family

reunion cases. Between now and 1997 we should give a higher

priority to enhancing our knowledge of the immigration procedures of

the main destination countries. We draw up an inventory of private organisations in Hong Kong and in the destination countries who

specialise in facilitating emigration to such countries: such

organisations could play a helpful role in the event of the UK

having to cope with an influx of people.

LOPACK

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