TNAG-2061-FCO40-2939-Vietnamese-boat-people-conditions-in-the-refugee-camps-in-Ho-1990 — Page 57

From The Minister of State

The Hon Francis Maude MP

Charles Kennedy Esq MP House of Commons London

SW1A OAA

1/2 HK)

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

London SW1A 2AH

12 April 1990

48

HKB 243 it

CEIVELY

'Y

С W990

IND..

Dear Charles

Thank you for your letter of 20 March enclosing one from your constituent, Mrs Shona Arthur of The Grove, Tain, Ross-shire, about the conditions in the Vietnamese boat people camps in Hong Kong.

The Hong Kong authorities faced enormous difficulties during the last sailing season in 1989 when boat people were arriving at a rate of up to 1,000 per day. It is greatly to their credit that they managed to accommodate such a huge influx despite appalling practical difficulties. Inevitably, there were times when conditions in the camps were far from ideal. But Hong Kong embarked on a large (and expensive) programme to build camps to accommodate the influx.

Conditions in the camps have improved considerably: new accommodation is coming on stream and boat people have already been moved from temporary accommodation on ferries, and from the overcrowded centre at Sham Shui Po, in Kowloon.

All those who arrived before 16 June 1988 have refugee status and are now being progressively resettled in the West. Refugees are able to leave the camps to find employment during the day. Under present arrangements, most refugees should have left Hong Kong by the end of the year.

Those who have arrived since 16 June 1988 will be screened to determine whether or not they qualify for refugee status (under criteria laid down by the 1951 UN Convention and 1967 protocol on refugees): those who are not refugees await return to Vietnam.