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Your reference
P. L. O'Keefe Esq. C.V.O.,
Hong Kong & Indian Ocean Department,
Foreign & Commonwealth Office, King Charles Street,
London SW1A 2AH,
ANOVIO IN ÁEGISTRY Mə. 51
Our reference
19 AUG 1975
Date
12th August, 1975.
Dear O'Keefe,
You spoke to me this morning about 71 Vietnamese in Hong Kong who have expressed a preference for settlement in this country.
The position about Vietnamese refugees remains as set out in the Home Secretary's 60) answer to a Parliamentary Question on 8 May last (Hansard W.A.498) that he is
prepared to admit a number of them who have some previous connection or tie with 93) the United Kingdom, and in his minute to the Foreign Secretary of 16 May.
We are
still waiting to hear from the U.S.A. and U.N.H.C.R. how many have a connection or tie with us and wish to come here.
It is pretty clear that the 71 in Hong Kong mentioned by you are the same group as the 111 that I recalled seeing mentioned in a telegram. Only 2 of them have ties or connections bringing them within the policy outlined above and not all of them have given the United Kingdom as their first choice. Nevertheless we have agreed to your people asking for all 71 to be vetted for short term clearance while we pursue the consultations necessary before we seek a decision by our Ministers as to whether the policy should be modified to include all or some of the 71 if otherwise acceptable.
LABT
RFF.
Yours sincerely,
NEXI
REF.
279
P. L. Taylor