TNAG-2062-FCO40-2940-Vietnamese-boat-people-repatriation-1990 — Page 100

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CONFIDENTIAL

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in much the same way as illegal immigrants

automa

from China i.e. there would be an automatic

presumption

immigrants,

co-operation

that

they were illegal

Here again, however, the

of the Vietnamese authorities

in repatriation would be essential.

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If

suspended,

first asylum were to be abandoned or

option (b) above would seem to be the more

practical approach. It would strengthen the deterrent

message by cutting off all hope of resettlement and it

would bring the policy on VBP into line with the policy

on Chinese illegal immigrants. But it would also mean

that Hong Kong would, in effect, be withdrawing from the

CPA. The pressures for permitting access to resettlement

for some on humitarian grounds, e.g. for family

reunification, would become intense.

widespread

There would be

international criticism and it is possible

that some resettlement

resettlement programmes

countries would

suspend their

for Hong Kong. Hong Kong's

withdrawal from the CPA might make it more difficult to

negotiate with Vietnam an agreement for regular automatic

repatriation. Without such an agreement the deterrent

message would not be significantly strengthened and Hong

Kong would run the risk of very large numbers of

Vietnamese

accumulating

in the

territory.

In such

circumstances

the suspension of

first asylum would not

have improved Hong Kong's position.

CONFIDENTIAL ##

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