TNAG-2872-FCO40-4126-Hong-Kong-repatriation-of-ex-China-Vietnamese-illegal-immigr-1993 — Page 180

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ADVANCE COPY

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FM HONG KONG

TO IMMEDIATE FCOLN

TELNO 1151

OF 14113OZ JULY 93

INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING, UKMIS GENEVA

INFO ROUTINE HANOI, UKREP JLG HONG KONG

056413

MDADAN 7552

341/2.

STAY

1993*

REGISTRY Action Taken

PEKING TELNO 974 (NOT TO HANOI OR UKMIS GENEVA) : EX-CHINA VIETNAMESE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS (ECVII'S)

1.

DESPITE SEVERAL REMINDERS, WE HAVE STILL HAD NOT RESPONSE FROM THE NCNA TO OUR REQUEST THAT WE BE ALLOWED TO BEGIN SENDING BACK ECVII'S IN THE NEXT FEW DAYS. WE ARE GRATEFUL FOR PEKING'S LOBBYING, THOUGH THE INITIAL MFA RESPONSE IS DISAPPOINTING CAND NO MORE COHERENT THAN THE NCNA'S). SINCE WE LAST REPORTED COUR TELNO 1122), THE ARRIVAL RATE HAS ACCELERATED WITH 167 NEW ARRIVALS SINCE 10 JULY, MAKING A TOTAL SINCE 25 JUNE OF 428. NOT SURPRISINGLY, PUBLIC CONCERN IS GROWING. WE HAVE ALREADY BEEN CRITICISED IN LEGCO FOR NOT TRYING HARD ENOUGH WITH THE CHINESE.

2. WE NEED TO KEEP UP THE PRESSURE. THE CURRENT SYSTEM, UNDER WHICH THE CHINESE VERIFY THE DETAILS OF EACH CASE BEFORE ACCEPTING ECVII'S BACK, PROVIDES LITTLE COMFORT: THE CHECKS RARELY TAKE LESS THAN 12 MONTHS TO COMPLETE AND USUALLY FAR LONGER, AND WE DO NOT KNOW HOW MANY OF THE NEW ARRIVALS WILL SATISFY THE CHINESE RESIDENCE REQUIREMENT, EVEN THOUGH ALL HAVE CLEARLY BEEN LIVING IN CHINA FOR MANY YEARS. WE THEREFORE THINK THAT WE NEED TO PROPOSE NEW ARRANGEMENTS TO THE CHINESE, IDEALLY FOR ALL ECVII'S, BUT FAILING THAT AT LEAST FOR USE IN THE CURRENT EMERGENCY. THE MAIN OPTIONS WE HAVE BEEN CONSIDERING ARE:

A) TO TREAT ECVII'S IN THE SAME WAY AS CHINESE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS (CII'S), WITH NO CHINESE CHECKS BEFOREHAND AND REPATRIATION WITHIN HOURS OF ARRIVAL ON THE DAILY SHUTTLE:

B)

TO GIVE THE CHINESE LISTS OF THOSE ECVII'S WE PROPOSE TO RETURN, ON THE UNDERSTANDING THAT THEY WOULD HAVE A FIXED PERIOD (SAY 2 WEEKS) BEFORE THE RETURN TAKES PLACE IN WHICH TO RAISE OBJECTIONS IN SPECIFIC CASES.

C) CHINESE AGREEMENT, ON A ONE-OFF BASIS AND WITHOUT PREJUDICE TO EXISTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR ECVII'S, THAT WE RETURN A LARGE BATCH

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