Vietnamese people in Hong Kong

Many of the Vietnamese people in Hong Kong immigrated as a result of the war and persecution in Vietnam since the mid-1970s.

Backed by a humanitarian policy of the Hong Kong Government [cite news | first = Donald | last = Cheung | title = Humane refugee policy will continue says official | date = 27 May 1981 | publisher = South China Morning Post | page =1 |url=http://sunzi1.lib.hku.hk/newspaper/view/02_09.04/127430.pdf] , and under the auspices of the United Nations, some Vietnamese were permitted to settle in Hong Kong.

The illegal entry of Vietnamese refugees was a problem which plagued the Hong Kong government for 25 years. The problem was only resolved in 2000. Between 1975 and 1999, 143 700 Vietnamese refugees were resettled in other countries and more than 67 000 Vietnamese migrants were repatriated [http://www.immd.gov.hk/40/eng/mil/70s/mil_70s_iv.html The influx of Vietnamese boat people] Immigration Department, Hong Kong Government, Accessed 2 May 2007] .

Vietnam War and refugee migration

1970s - from a trickle to a flood

After the Vietnam War ended in 1975, Vietcong forces reunited the northern and southern halves of the country, many people began to flee out of fear of the new Communist Government. Many refugees fled across the border into Thailand, whilst others headed by boat to nearby countries, initially Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Hong Kongcite news | last = Chang | first = Harold | title = 5,000 on way to HK in Vietnamese armada | date = 25 June 1977 | publisher = South China Morning Post | page =1 |url=http://sunzi1.lib.hku.hk/newspaper/view/02_09.01/127010.pdf] .

Hong Kong received its first wave of Vietnamese refugees on 4 May 1975. A 3,743-strong refugee group was found hiding on board the Danish freighter "Clara Mǣrsk" and were accepted as refugees. Although the Hong Kong Government declared them "illegal immigrants"cite news |title = Govt now calls them illegal immigrants | date = 23 May 1975 | publisher = Hong Kong Standard | url =http://sunzi1.lib.hku.hk/newspaper/view/02_09.01/126987.pdf] , this arrival marked the start of a wave of refugee migrations to Hong Kong [cite news | title = Drive to place 3,750 goes on | date = 7 May 1975 | publisher = South China Morning Post | page =1 |url=http://sunzi1.lib.hku.hk/newspaper/view/02_09.01/126980.pdf] . Initially, Western governments shirked responsibility for resetling any refugees. In 1976, the Hong Kong Government applied to the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) for material aid and faster processing of resettlement requests [cite news | last = Polin | first = Tom | title = Governor calls on UNHCR to do more | date = 26 May 1976 | publisher = South China Morning Post | page =1 |url =http://sunzi1.lib.hku.hk/newspaper/view/02_09.01/126996.pdf] . One year later, this first group of refugees, who had been under the responsibility of the Civil Aid Services, were entirely resettled in the United States, France, Germany, Australia, and Hong Kongcite news | last = Choi | first = Barry | title = War's over at last for last 31 | date = 25 June 1979 | publisher = South China Morning Post | page =1 |url =http://sunzi1.lib.hku.hk/newspaper/view/02_09.02/127195.pdf] .

In 1979, the Vietcong started ethnic cleansing in major cities in Vietnam, causing many Chinese Vietnamese to seek refugee status in Hong Kong. Hong Kong declared itself a "First Port of Refuge". Soon, the Thai government stopped accepting refugees. Singapore and Malaysia did not allow the refugees to land, effectively turning the refugees away. Hong Kong, with the status of "safe haven", soon became the leading destination. The BBC World Service spurred the choice by making known Hong Kong's 3-month grace period in which to make resettlement applications to a third countrycite news | last = Chang | first = Harold | title = Vietnam escape trail paved with gold | date = 26 June 1977 | publisher = South China Morning Post | page =1 |url=http://sunzi1.lib.hku.hk/newspaper/view/02_09.01/127011.pdf] . Hong Kong was also known for its liberal policy of allowing landed refugees the right to work. It was the peak year of arrivals, when more than 68,700 people arrived in Hong Kong.

1980s - stemming the tide

The tide of refugees continued to flow, and in 1980, more than 100,000 Vietnamese sought refugee rights in Hong KongDubious|date=March 2008. At this time, these migrants usually succeeded in gaining refugee status, and were eventually accepted by Western countries.

To deter the influx of refugees, new arrivals from Vietnam were interned in "closed camps" from July 1982 as possibilities for resettlement to third countries dwindled.cite news | first = Donald | last = Cheung | date = 16 June 1982 | publisher = South China Morning Post |title = Exco 'Yes' to closed camps | url = http://sunzi1.lib.hku.hk/newspaper/view/02_09.04/127472.pdf] These camps were criticised for keeping freedom-seeking people "behind barbed wire".cite news | last = Chugani | first = Michael | title = Council raps refugee policy |date= 7 December 1984 | publisher = South China Morning Post |url=http://sunzi1.lib.hku.hk/newspaper/view/02_09.05/127635.pdf]

The United States started imposing stricter entry requirements on refugees in 1982 in a bid to slow the numbers accepted.cite news | first = Donald | last = Cheung | date = 10 February 1982 | publisher = South China Morning Post |title = Boat people intake slashed | url = http://sunzi1.lib.hku.hk/newspaper/view/02_09.04/127449.pdf] The war atrocities were long since over, together with the world-wide recession, came the realisation that the refugees were predominantly economic. [cite news |title = A 'Catch-22' situation over refugees | date = 10 June 1983 | publisher = Hong Kong Standard | url =http://sunzi1.lib.hku.hk/newspaper/view/02_09.05/127569.pdf] Most refugees from Vietnam from about 1984 were part of the "orderly departure scheme" sanctioned by the Vietnamese government. [cite news |title = Friendless shore | date = 28 January 1984 | publisher = The Economist | url =http://sunzi1.lib.hku.hk/newspaper/view/02_09.05/127592.pdf]

By 1987, many other Western countries had lowering their quotas for Vietnamese refugees whilst the influx into Hong Kong continued to increase, peaking at some 300 a day in 1989, fed by rumours that Vietnamese migrants could gain amnesty simply by landing on Hong Kong soil. The government adopted a Comprehensive Plan of Action on 16 June 1988, separating political refugees (classified as refugees) from economic refugees (classified as "boat people"). Economic refugees were considered illegal immigrants; they were denied the right to be transferred to a third country and were all sent back to Vietnam.

1990s - orderly repatriations

In the early 1990s, the Hong Kong government began an orderly repatriation programme. It began as a voluntary programme, but it was poorly received by the Vietnamese migrants, despite an agreement with the Vietnamese government that barred retributions against the migrants upon their return. Eventually, the Hong Kong government decided to forcibly repatriate the Vietnamese boat peoplecite news | last = McKenzie | first = Scott | title = Return trip to reality |date=24 September 1989 | publisher = South China Morning Post |url=http://sunzi1.lib.hku.hk/newspaper/view/02_09.35/132573.pdf] .

The Comprehensive Plan of Action was carried out by 1994. During the late 1980s and 1990s, the Hong Kong government began to broadcast a Vietnamese radio announcement in an attempt to deter Vietnamese migrants from making way to Hong Kong. This came to be known as the Bắt đầu từ nay broadcast.

As the situation in Vietnam improved, and the flow of boat people was stemmed, Hong Kong's status as a "First Port of Refuge" was revoked on 9 January 1998. However, until 2000, Hong Kong still issued identity cards to the boat people in Hong Kong in an effort to allow them to assimilate into the society.

2000s - integration

In February 2000, the Hong Kong government announced that it would widen the Local Resettlement Scheme for Vietnamese refugees and migrants, allowing 1,400 refugees and migrants to settle in Hong Kong. The plan applied to 973 refugees that have been stranded in Hong Kong, and 327 migrants whom the Vietnamese government refused to accept. It did not apply to Vietnamese illegal immigrants. While stating that Hong Kong would continue to enforce the policy of repatriating illegal immigrants from Vietnam, then-Secretary for Security Regina Ip also commented that "the only effective and durable solution" for the refugees and migrants was "complete integration", and that "Integration is a humanitarian solution, especially for the children of the [refugees] and [migrants] who were born in Hong Kong."cite web|url=http://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/200002/22/0222141.htm|title=Plan to Integrate Vietnamese Refugees and Migrants Announced|publisher=Government of the Hong Kong SAR|date=2000-02-22|accessdate=2007-12-21]

Facilities

The first batch of 3,743 refugees in 1975 had been settled in a civilian refugee camp in Chatham Road pending their resettlement. This camp was to be demolished in 1976.

Some 2,600 refugees aboard the vessel "Skyluck" which arrived on 7 February 1979 were refused the right to land due to a shortage of facilities, and were kept on board the vessel for over 4 months. The conditions were regarded as being superior to some terrestrial "transit camps"cite news |title = 2600 call off hunger strike | date = 25 June 1979 | publisher = Hong Kong Standard | url =http://sunzi1.lib.hku.hk/newspaper/view/02_09.02/127161.pdf] . On 29 June 1979, some refugees cut the anchor chain, causing the 3,500-ton ship to drift into rocks near Lamma Island, and sink.

In June 1979, a camp was set up on a site adjacent to the Police station at Sham Shui Po (closed March 1981)cite news | first = Donald | last = Cheung | date = 12 February 1981 | publisher = South China Morning Post |title = Refugee camps continue to close | url = http://sunzi1.lib.hku.hk/newspaper/view/02_09.04/127424.pdf] , another was opened at Jubilee (closed November 1980); the Government opened the former Argyle Street Army camp to accommodate an estimated 20,000 refugeescite news | title = $125,000 a day for us to feed refugees| first =Eileen | last =Wong | publisher = South China Morning Post| url= http://sunzi1.lib.hku.hk/newspaper/view/02_09.01/127087.pdf |date= 31 May 1979] ; the Kai Tak East camp was set up to house an estimated 10,000; a 23-storey factory building in Tuen Mun to house an additional 16,000 was set upcite news | title = 500 move to Tuen Mun | date = 5 June 1979 | publisher = South China Morning Post | url = http://sunzi1.lib.hku.hk/newspaper/view/02_09.02/127098.pdf] , temporary facilities were established at the Government Dockyard and Western Quarantine Anchorage.

The Chimawan Detention Centre would become the first closed camp after the Government passed the Immigration (Amendment) Bill 1982, set up on 2 July. Plans for a second camp, at Hei Long Chau, were initiated at the end of July, shortly after the arrival of 1,523 refugees in the monthcite news | title = Rush job on closed camp | date = 29 July 1982 | publisher = South China Morning Post | url = http://sunzi1.lib.hku.hk/newspaper/view/02_09.04/127484.pdf] . Another closed camp was set up in Cape Collinson

The Whitehead camp was set up in Shatin to accommodate 28,000. Later, from June 1989, the runway of the former military airfield at Sek Kong was turned into a holding facility to house an estimated 7,000 refugees, amidst protests from local residentscite news | last = Tam | first = Bonnie | title = Local march to show anger at Viet policy | date = 18 June 1989 | publisher = South China Morning Post |url=http://sunzi1.lib.hku.hk/newspaper/view/02_09.15/129081.pdf] . Prior to the 1997 handover, the facility reverted to as an airfield and is now used by the PLA Air Force.

Financial cost

The Security Branch revealed that, as at January 1983, the total cash outlay due to feeding and accommodating refugees had amounted to HKD270 million, of which 110 was borne by Hong Kong, HKD120 million by the UNHCR, and the remainder by international agencies [cite news |last = Wong | first = David |title = Cost of housing Viet refugees expected to soar | date = 3 February 1983 | publisher = Hong Kong Standard | url = http://sunzi1.lib.hku.hk/newspaper/view/02_09.05/127515.pdf] .

The United Nations owed Hong Kong HK$1.61 billion for its handling of Vietnamese boat peoplecite news | last = Cheung | first = Carmen |title = HK chasing $1.6b debt from UN |date=25 August 1998 | publisher = Hong Kong Standard | url =http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=&art_id=40740&sid=&con_type=1&d_str=19980825&sear_year=1998] , still outstanding as of 2006.

References

External links

* [http://www.immd.gov.hk/ehtml/facts_7.htm Facts and Statistics: Vietnamese Refugees]