BY BAG
CONFIDENTIAL 44%
7/2 02
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布政司署
香港下亞畢道
* OUR Ref.: CR 1/4831/76 II
* Your Ref.:
J A B Stewart Esq OBE
Hong Kong & General Department
FCO
RECIEVED IN RETRY NO. 51
28 JUL 1977
Dear John 1KK 243/332/1
e.c.
I heiffen/
Nu. Daund
GOVERNMENT SECRETARIAT
SEAR
LOWER ALBERT ROAD
HONG KONG
21st July, Wacher Webin
62
with Hanoi telno 116.
I dont know what SEAD cie
I dont know
doing about Hanoi Tel No 16. I thinks I should
To wire. arrange for for Davivesty
wire.an
Dim see both her famous and
12712.1
REPATRIATION OF HONG KONG BELONGERS
FROM VIETNAM
Jals
1326/7 11/624/
It is some time since we reported the progress which we have made, and the stage we have reached, in repatriating Hong Kong belongers and dependents from Vietnam. The opportunity of a short visit by Robert Tesh gave us the chance to review the situation and I thought you would be interested in a report on it.
2.
We have been running charter flights by Cathay Pacific since December. The procedure is for the Immigration Department here to consider applications from Hong Kong belongers in Vietnam, usually sponsored by relatives in Hong Kong. Once applications are approved, lists are forwarded to Maideen in Ho Chi Minh Ville and the appli- cant then approaches the Vietnamese authorities for an exit permit. If, and when, this is provided, the individual is cleared for travel and in conjunction with Cathay Pacific we arrange to charter a 707 aircraft. We meet the cost of the charter, but individuals who travel on it or their sponsors have to pay their passages. This arrangement works smoothly. Despite the difficulties involved in this exercise and the problems of dealing with a number of different Vietnamese ministeries and offices, the scheme has so far worked remarkably well. As a result we have been able to achieve repatriation of a far larger number of Hong Kong belongers than we thought possible when the scheme was first introduced. The credit for this must be shared between our Immigration Department, the British Embassy in Hanoi and Maideen. But we all recognise that without Maideen's presence, dedicated work, administrative ability, tact and influence with Vietnamese officials, the operation would be very unlikely to continue.
3.
On the 13th July, the 11th charter flight was successfully
CONFIDENTIAL
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