Refugees prove increasing problem for Hong Kong

Press, 1 February 1983, Page 17

Refugees prove increasing problem for Hong Kong

NZPA staff correspondent Hong Kong The Hong Kong Government sees involuntary repatriation as the only possible new initiative to solve a worsening Vietnamese refugee problem, according to a senior Government official. The official, who declined to be named, said that Hong Kong was now a haven for 13.000 Vietnamese boat people. 3400 of whom had arrived since a strict closedcamp policy was introduced last July. Under the policy, new arrivals are placed in guarded camps and. unlike earlier refugees, given no opportunity to join Hong Kong’s work force while waiting resettlement elsewhere. Because of substantial cuts

in the number of resettlement places being offered refugees, there is little prospect of new homes being found for recent arrivals in the foreseeable future. Government officials concede, however, that the .closed-camp policy has not been wholly successful and that by August this year as many as 8000 refugees could be in the camps. “Intellectually one would believe that there should be a cause-effect relationship," the senior official said. "Why leave Vietnam if you are going to be incarcerated for a long time with little hope of resettlement?" He said that while involuntary repatriation appeared the only possible new initiative. for practical and politi-

cal reasons such a programme was a long way off. The possibility of approaching the Vietnamese Government to discuss repatriation had been explored. "It is not a straightforward matter, but they know of our concern." he said. Meanwhile. Hong Kong had no intention of turning the boat people away. “We do not think it is feasible to be anything but passive receivers.” he said. “We cannot afford to also be welcoming and offer open camps with the right to work. Otherwise we become a magnet." The official said that 98.3 per cent of Vietnamese re-

fugees now reaching Hong Kong were ethnic Vietnamese. whereas four or five years ago the majority were Chinese. The Hong Kong Government's attitude was that today's arrivals were basically refugees from economic conditions and not political persecution. He said that although the resettlement places available meant that the outflow- had been reduced to a trickle, countries that had offered resettlement places had been "pretty generous." “It is the countries that have done nothing which should be looked at more critically,” he said.