IMG/75 58/1026/20 HKK 18/25
PL O'Keeffe Esq
Foreign & Commonwealth Office
LONDON SW1
.K..
HOME OFFICE
LUNAR HOUSE
WELLESLEY ROAD
CROYDON CR9 2BY
3 October 1975
#EF.
በእ KEF.
306
Dear O'Keeffe
२०१)
I am glad to be able to let you know that the Home Secretary is prepared to agree to the admission here of the 150 odd Vietnamese refugees in Hong Kong who have expressed a wish to come, subject to personal acceptability.
This is a special exception to the policy set out in the Home Secretary's Parliamentary Statement on 8 May last in which he stipulated that to qualify for admission the refugees must demonstrate tie or previous connection with the United Kingdom before they could be considered for admission. This is an important aspect of our general policy for dealing with the many requests put to us to take in refugees from all quarters of the world.
I am to emphasise however that this should be regarded as our final contribution to this problem; that we shall not be receptive to expressions of preferences from others in Hong Kong; and that we are not prepared to accept responsibility for any residue left in Hong Kong at the conclusion of your various gallant efforts.
As I have said over the telephone, agreement to this concession has been obtained on the understanding that Government funds shall not be committed to pay for it.
You may like to let all concerned your end know of these qualifications.
Yours sincerely
P.R.