Study Of Vietnamese Refugees And Boat People In Hong Kong

The problem of Vietnamese refugees (VRS) and boat people (BP) in Hong Kong originated from 1970's.Hong Kong has been facing this problem for more than 20 years since then. And it has had great effect on both the government of British Hong Kong (BHK) and Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR). This thesis will arrange systematically the origin and process of VRS and BP streaming into HK, the policy of HK government to VRS and BP, the hardship faced by HKSAR and its solutions, and thus carry out the further research on the causes of the stay of VRS and BP in HK. Meanwhile, the thesis tries to make objective comments on the policies of BHK and HKSAR.The thesis consists of four parts. The first part explains the origin and the process of VRS and BP in HK. The problem mainly resulted from the push of Vietnamese State and the pull of HK. The main power of push of Vietnamese State lies in its high-handed policies in politics and its policy of racial discrimination, its radical economic policy and bad situation in economy. And the geographical location of HK, its favorable policy of VRS and BP, and the connivance of the western mass all contributed to the power of the pull. There were two waves of VRS and BP streaming into HK, which both have its own characteristics respectively.The second part mainly combs the policies of BHK on VRS and BP, trying to make appropriate comments on its motives and effects. BHK made several adjustments on its policies on VRS and BP. Initially, BHK adopted the policy of open centers, which permit VRS to seek waged work during their waiting for settlement. During July 1982 to June 1988, BHK carried out the policy of closed centers, in which the freedom of VRS were restricted. The Vietnamese who streamed into HK during these two stages were automatically given refugees status. In July 1988, the continual arrival of new groups and the stagnating resettlement rate led HK authorities to introduce a replacement policy under which all migrants are detained pending confirmation of their refugee status; if denied, they would be repatriated to Vietnam.There were different treatments and service to VRS and BP in different stages.In the third part I analyze the dilemma of HKSAR and its measures. In the return of HK, it still faced the problems of VRS, BP and Vietnamese Illegal Immigrants(VII). In January 1998, HKSAR cancelled the "first-port policy" so as to hold back radically the flow of VII. At the beginning of 2000, HKSAR carryed out the " Widened Local Resettlement Scheme" to deal with the issue of the delayed 1400 VRS and BP, who had lived in HK for nearly 10 years. This Scheme permit them to apply for Identity Card of HK residents.At last, the thesis carries out a further study on the causes of the continual flow of VRS and BP to HK. There were three main causes. Firstly, the detained solutions in essence for VRS and BP of international communities contributed to it. Though the international communities had reached some agreements such as "Resttlement" and " Comprehensive Plan of Action" during more than 20 years flow, these were no more than surface solutions. Secondly, British refugee's policy was one of the causes. Britain promised HK to be a "first port" for VRS representing HK, meanwhile itself did not to be a model for resettlement for them, even took advantage of so-called "human rights" problem to press BHK to set VRS and BP free during the late return stage of HK to China so as to hold back the repatriation of BP. Finally, the kind refugees policies of BHK, in comparison to those of ASEAN, taken as a pulling power, brought about at a great degree the flow of VRS and BP to HK.