leel that, in the circumstances, the country. of registration
should ta on this responsibility, but, as. we all know some
countries are less. humanitarian in attitude than others:
Liberia, for example, has as far as we know shown a marked
disinterest in these affairs. For the sake of the refugees
themselves, we should prefer a little flexibility to deal with
cases of non-UK registered vessels where nevertheless British
interests are closely involved."
Mimink, m
adut
6.
I hope the above makes sense. We do not want to open any
floodgates. Nor do we want to accept responsibility for refugees properly the concern of others, unless there is an overwhelming
humanitarian case for 'so doing. The line has to be drawn
}
somewhere. But the general public (and I suspect Ministers)
n
are not going to understand when Refugee children are picked
up at sea by a ship with some sort of obvious. British
connection and then start dying for lack of medical care
because HMG washes its hands of them on some technicality of
registration.A hypothetical example but one, I suggest,
which could arise any day. Against this background,
•
1.
and given the sexisting high degree of public interest in the
problem, I hope the Home Secretary can be asked to 'propose
that officials. be allowed. a wider discretion in helping over
specific cases in future than envisaged in your present 'draft
Jio de AV
in rot misal:
i.
*
0
RESTRICTED
すい
» ག「
i
;
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