CONFIDENTIAL
Foreign and Commonwealth Office London SW1
CD S Drace-Francis Esq Assistant Political Adviser Hong Kong
LAFT
252
NEXT
NEF.
Telephone 01-
Your reference
Our reference
Date
HKK 18/25
15 August 1975
2x6
VIETNAMESE REFUGEES
255)
241
1.
Thank you for keeping us so up-to-date on this subject
through your letters of 22 July and 6 August. 252)
2.
if
I held back my reply in the hope that I might have some good news on the 71 refugees who have applied to come to the UK. However, I am afraid that despite repeated prodding the Home Office are still non-committal and cannot even say when their Ministers will take a decision (which, favourable, would be subject to satisfactory security clearance of the people concerned). I am fully aware of the difficulties which the continuing delay presents for you in Hong Kong; equally, you will appreciate that it puts us in diplomatic baulk and open to attack eg the Times article on 12 August, which you will no doubt by now have seen. I can only say that we shall continue to do all we can and are considering whether to recommend a further Ministerial approach.
3. In the meantime, we remain very hamstrung on what we can do to help you resettle the residue. I was sorry to hear that the Dutch are also now prevaricating; and in the circumstances I am afraid we must accept David Moss's advice that for the present we should take no further action in The Hague (his letter of 12 August). Similarly, at present it is difficult for us to make any approach to Caribbean governments (your telegram number 696); Caribbean Department doubt whether there is any mileage in this, at least until we have got our own house in order.
As you know, most of the islands in the Caribbean are already very heavily populated. Nevertheless, it might be possible to offer them any of the refugees having good medical or agricultural qualifications: perhaps you would send us further information about any such people who have not already been resettled elsewhere.
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CONFIDENTIAL
14.
NSG