BRITAIN will face pressure from the international community this week to review its position on the 1,800 Vietnamese ''hardcore'' refugees languishing in Hong Kong.
The British Government has refused to take any more Vietnamese refugees from Hong Kong other than on a family reunion basis, even though the Hong Kong Government expects other resettlement countries to review their intake levels.
However, it is understood that leading resettlement countries such as Canada and Australia will not consider taking any more refugees unless Britain leads the way.
Technical talks in Bangkok on the resettlement and repatriation of Vietnamese asylum-seekers being detained in the region begin tomorrow and will be attended by Government Refugees Co-ordinator Brian Bresnihan.
He said he would propose that resettlement countries take a ''second look'' at the refugees remaining in the region and particularly the long-stayers in Hong Kong who have been rejected by many resettlement countries because of their criminal records, drug problems or medical complaints.
Mr Bresnihan said Britain had a good track record in taking refugees but acknowledged that it was unlikely Britain would change its attitude.
The Foreign Office spokesman in Hong Kong, Bill Dickson, said the British Government had no plans to accept any more refugees from Hong Kong.
