CODE 18 - 77
NOTE FOR FILE
Reference.
HONG KONG: VIETNAMESE REFUGEES
Paragraph 3 of the brief on Vietnamese refugees in Hong Kong prepared for Lord Goronwy Roberts' meeting with Mr Donald on 6 January (my submission of 4 January refers), states that the Home Secretary has recently agreed that we should offer to accept up to 100 Vietnamese refugees for permanent settlement in this country and that priority would be given Vietnamese refugees in Hong Kong. I included this point on the advice of SEAD but in Mr Morgan's absence UND were not able to confirm it until after the brief had been finalised. Miss Elmes has since told me that the precise position is as follows. The Home Secretary has agreed in principle that we should offer to accept 116 Vietnamese refugees, which is the balance of an offer of 151 made in 1975 and only partially taken up, subject to the British Voluntary Organisations concerned being able to make satisfactory arrangements for their reception in this country. He has also agreed that priority should be given to Vietnamese refugees in Hong Kong. The offer cannot, however, be confirmed until the voluntary organisations have been consulted and agreed. Only at that stage would the Home Office notify us officially of the offer and the way be clear to notify the UNHCR and, as the Home Office have accepted, the Hong Kong Government.
I did not include any reference to the Home Secretary's agreement in the "Points to Raise" section of the brief in case, Since I suspected there might still be further hurdles to cross.
In any case, the Hong Kong authorities and the UNHCR's representative seem to have been very successful in recent months in arranging for the resettlement elsewhere of the small groups of Vietnamese refugees arriving in Hong Kong. As of mid November last there were no more than 50 Vietnamese refugees awaiting resettlement and the number may since have fallen. There seemed little point in Lord Goronwy Roberts' being advised to say anything about the Home Secretary's agreement when there may be no need for Hong Kong to take advantage of it. As I said in the brief, Hong Kong has not told us that any of the Vietnamese refugees who may still be with them wish to come to the UK.
In the event, Mr David, who sat in when Mr Donald called on Lord Goronwy Roberts, tells me that there was no discussion at all of the problem of Vietnamese refugees. We can await further developments.
D.F. Milton
D F MILTON
7 January 1977