TNAG-2067-FCO40-2945-Vietnamese-boat-people-unaccompanied-minors-in-Hong-Kong-1990 — Page 87

CONFIDENTIAL

002676

MDHIAN 1964

CONFIDENTIAL

FM UKMIS GENEVA

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

TELNO 11

OF 101718Z JANUARY

1990

INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG,

410 HKB 243/10

/ © - ??

HKB 243 115

RY

Top Copy OP COP

Q DIST?

RECEIVED IN P

18 JAN1990

DESK

INDEX MANOI

MY TELNO 10: VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE: UNACCOMPANIED MINORS

1. ISSUE OF VBP UNACCOMPANIED MINORS WAS DISCUSSED IN THE COORDINATING COMMITTEE (PRE-ICIR) AND SINCE IN THE STEERING COMMITTEE. THERE WAS AGREEMENT THAT LOCAL COMMITTEES, COMPRISING PROFESSIONAL SOCIAL AND CHILD WORKERS AND UNHCR, SHOULD BE SET UP IN EACH FIRST-ASYLUM COUNTRY TO TAKE DECISIONS ON WHETHER UNACCOMPANIED MINORS SHOULD BE RETURNED TO VIETNAM TO REJOIN THEIR FAMILIES OR

''SCREENED-IN' TO JOIN CLOSE RELATIVES IN RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES.

2. UNHCR HAVE TOLD US THAT THERE HAS BEEN NO PROGRESS IN ESTABLISHING SUCH A LOCAL COMMITTEE IN HONG KONG, FOR UNSPECIFIED REASONS, ALTHOUGH THEY HINTED THAT HONG KONG'S IMMIGRATION AUTHORITIES HAD OBJECTED. MCNAMARA (UNHCR) SAID THAT THERE WERE CURRENTLY SOME 5,000 UNACCOMPANIED MINORS IN HONG KONG. SINCE THE CRITERIA FOR THE LOCAL COMMITTEE WOULD INVARIABLY BE ''THE BEST INTERESTS OF THE CHILD' AND RESULT IN A DECISION EITHER FOR REPATRIATION TO VIETNAM OR RESETTLEMENT, UNHCR COULD NOT SEE WHY EARLY PROGRESS COULD NOT BE MADE TO RELIEVE HONG KONG OF THIS CASELOAD. HE THOUGHT THAT IN SOME 90% OF THE CASES, THE LOCAL COMMITTEE WOULD RECOMMEND REPATRIATION TO VIETNAM.

3. WE ARE UNSIGHTED ON UNHCR/HONG KONG DISCUSSIONS ON THIS POINT. IS THERE ANY PROSPECT OF EARLY PROGRESS TO RELIEVE HONG KONG OF SOME 5,000 VBPS AND SWELL THE NUMBERS OF VBPS BEING REPATRIATED TO VIETNAM?

SANKEY

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