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12. (contd)
the process of resettling refugees in Denmark may take some time. If the Danes follow up the suggestion in Copenhagen telegram No. 161 of sending someone here, we would attach a small Hong Kong Immigration Department team to work with him. We would of course be glad if the Danes were able to take up to 100.
13.
Taiwan,
One refugee has already gone there. We are likely to have a problem on our hands of how to find an acceptable means of getting those who want to go to Taiwan accepted there. We may have to "land" some of the refugees who look as if they would want to go to Taiwan and let them simply disappear in their own way. We could keep the United States Consulate-General informed of those whom we treated in this way in case the Americans were able to ease the passages to Taiwan.
14.
This leaves ourselves. Hong Kong has already permitted 46 to settle permanently in Hong Kong and we will probably take some more depending on their connections. We are moving cautiously at this stage in view of the real danger of being left with a large group whom we cannot get resettled anywhere else! But we felt it important to set a good example and I hope that we hear some good news soon about what the UK can do, apart from the initial useful financial help of £20,000.
15.
On the basis of the situation described above, it looks as if we might with luck have resettled about 2000 by the end of the summer. This will still leave a tough problem for us; resettling the remaining 1500 to 2000 will not be easy. On the question of their return to Vietnam, you will have seen our views in our telegram No. 507. We shall be reviewing the situation again in about a fortnight's time, by which time we shall no doubt be able to report on our talks with Kadry on what role the UNHCR might play. No matter how this develops, in the end it is the willingness of individual countries to agree to accept the refugees that matters!
cc C W Squire Esq MVO, S E A D
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