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In response to the UNHCR appeal in 1976 (mentioned above), HMG agreed to accept up to 75 refugee families:
from Argentina: in fact, by August 1978, some 120 families had been admitted to the UK under a continuing programme. Moreover, following a detailed review of policy on refugees from Latin America, the Home Secretary announced in June 1978 that in future HMG would, exceptionally, accept for considera- tion visa applications from persons in all Latin American countries, including those resident in their own countries, "who could show a genuine need for resettlement and who had ties with Britain.
Since the programme for Chilean refugees began in 1974, we have received almost 4,900 visa applications from Latin Americans covering over 13,000 individuals altogether. Of this number, some 4,700 have been granted visas and almost 2,900 have arrived in the UK. Most of those concerned are Chileans. But with the diminution in the number of Chileans wishing to leave their country, and the introduction of the new guidelines for the admission of refugees from all Latin American countries, the proportion of Chileans in the total numbers can be expected to fall.
Item 7: Report on the Status of Contributions to Voluntary Funds and the Overall Financial Situation for 1978 and 1979 as at 30 June 1978 (A/AC.96/554): and the Budget for 1979 (A/AC.96/533.
(Document /554)
At the end of 1977, the UK occupied fifth place in the league of contributing governments. At the end of June 1978, we were the largest contributor but held first place only briefly although we have since made further sizeable contributions raising our total so far for 1978 to approximately £5.8 million at the end of September; our most recent donation being a £0.6m addition to our support for UNHCR programmes in Southern Africa.
(Document /553)
Leading up to his announcement of our pledge to the General Programme for 1979, the UK representative might refer to the Introduction to document /533 and welcome steps taken and planned towards the assimilation of long term "Special" programmes in, for example, Southern Africa and the Indo-China peninsula, into the General Programme. The revised General Programme budget for 1978 totals US $40.6m and, on the same base, the 1979 budget would have been about US $52m: the increase is due, largely, to new refugee situations. However. we note that the proposed budget is US $77.2m but that this is on the new base created by the proposed absorption of the cost of activities previously funded from special operations into the General Programme. The delegation should confirm our view that this is a welcome step and accept the full summary of proposals requiring the formal approval of the Executive Committee and listed in Schedule A (page XXII of document /553).
/The
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