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CONFIDENTIAL
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DESKBY Ø62000Z
TO IMMEDIATE KINGSTON TELNO 267 OF 6 MAY INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG
WASHINGTON UKMIS NEW YORK BIS NEW YORK UKMIS GENEVA UKREP BRUSSELS DUBLIN PEKING ROUTINE OTTAWA COPENHAGEN MANILA SINGAPORE(SAIGON UNIT)
FOR SECRETARY OF STATE FROM GORONWY-ROBERTS,
VIETNAMESE REFUGEES.
YOU WILL WISH TO BE BROUGHT UP TO DATE ON THE PROBLEM OF
VIETNAMESE REFUGEES SINCE KINGSTON TELNO 242. THERE HAS BEEN
CONSIDERABLE PARLIAMENTARY AND PRESS INTEREST AND THE MATTER HAS BECOME COMPLICATED BY THE ARRIVAL IN HONG KONG OF APPROXIMATELY
4,500 REFUGEES WHO WERE RESCUED FROM A SINKING SHIP BY A DANISH
VESSEL.
2. NO PARLIAMENTARY STATEMENT ABOUT THE ADMISSION OF VIETNAMESE
REFUGEES TO THE UK HAS YET BEEN MADE. THE HOME SECRETARY NOW PLANS AN ANSWER TO AN INSPIRED QUESTION ON THURSDAY 8 MAY.
HE DOES NOT PROPOSE TO REVEAL THAT THE AGREEMENT TO ADMIT REFUGEES IS AT PRESENT LIMITED TO 100.
3. THE PRESENCE OF THE REFUGEES IN HONG KONG PRESENTS GREAT
DIFFICULTIES FOR THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT. AS YOU KNOW THE COLONY'S SOCIAL SERVICES ARE ALREADY GREATLY OVERBURDENED, AND ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS FROM CHINA ARE NOW BEING SENT BACK. HONG KONG IMMIGRATION DEPARTMENT IS BEGINNING THE COLLECTION OF BASIC
INFORMATION ON THE REFUGEES WITH A VIEW TO FINDING HOMES FOR THEM ELSEWHERE. THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT HAVE ASKED THE US CONSUL
GENERAL IF THE REFUGEES COULD PROCEED SHORTLY TO GUAM, BUT HE HAS SAID THAT THE US IMMIGRATION DEPARTMENT HAD SENT EXPLICIT INSTRUCTIONS THAT NO MORE REFUGEES SHOULD BE SENT TO GUAM AND
THAT THE GROUP PICKED UP IN DISTRESS HAD FLED VIETNAM ON THEIR
OWN INITIATIVE IN A VIETNAMESE SHIP AND WERE NOT PART OF THE
PLANNED AND MONITORED OPERATION IN SAIGON INVOLVING US SHIPS.
NONETHELESS THE US CONSUL GENERAL AGREED TO PUT THE REQUEST TO WASHINGTON. THE GOVERNOR HAS ALSO REQUESTED THAT OUR EMBASSY IN WASHINGTON SHOULD REINFORCE THESE REPRESENTATIONS. THE CANADIANS HAVE, HOWEVER, AGREED TO TAKE 200 OF THESE REFUGEES.
. CONFIDENTIAL
/4. IT IS POSSIBLE