CONFIDENTI AL
B)
SINGAPORE WILL ONLY ACCOMMODATE 1000 REFUGEES AT ANY ONE TIME. REFUGEES WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO LAND EVEN IF THEY HAVE GUARANTEES FROM THIRD COUNTRIES THERE ARE ALREADY 1300 REFUGEES IN TRANSIT FACILITIES IN SINGAPORE. (THERE ARE AT PRESENT SOME 800 BOAT PEOPLE HERE, OF WHOM ADOUT 300 HAVE BEEN HERE FOR MORE THAN 3 MONTHS)
C) REFUGEES WHO OVERSTAY THE 96 DAY PERIOD BY UP TO A MONTH
WILL BE HELD AGAINST VACANCIES. THE FOREIGN MISSION RESPONSIBLE
WILL BE DEPRIVED OF THOSE VACANCIES. (THIS CONDITION IS NOT
ENTIRELY CLEAR AND REQUIRES CLARIFICATION.)
D) ANY FOREIGN MISSION WHICH ALLOWS ANY REFUGEES FOR WHOM IT
HAS GUARANTEED RESETTLEMENT TO REMAIN IN SINGAPORE FOR MORE THAN 120 DAYS WILL BE DENIED THE PRIVILEGE OF LANDING REFUGEES. IT WILL ONLY BE ALLOWED TO REJOIN THE SCHEME AFTER A PENALTY PERIOD
WHICH IS EQUIVALENT TO THE PERIOD WHICH THE FOREIGN MISSION
TAKES TO RESETTLE THE LAST REFUGEE AFTER THE 120 DAYS.
4. THE MAIN OBJECTION TO THE NEW POLICY IS ITS APPARENT LACK
OF FLEXIBILITY IF RIGOROUSLY APPLIED. ITS OBJECT IS CLEARLY
TO BRING PRESSURE ON THOSE COUNTRIES WHICH, HAVING GIVEN THEIR
UNDERTAKING TO REMOVE REFUGEES FROM SINGAPORE WITHIN THREE
MONTHS THEN FAIL TO LIVE UP TO THIS. NORWAY IS THE PRIME
OFFENDER BUT IS IN A DIFFICULT SITUATION: THERE ARE MANY
NORWEGIAN SHIPS IN THE AREA AND MANY HAVE PICKED UP REFUGEES BUT
APPARENTLY RECEPTION FACILITIES IN NORWAY ARE INADEQUATE FOR
THE NUMBERS, OTHER COUNTRIES HAVE FROM TIME TO TIME HAD
DIFFICULTIES IN MOVING ON SOME REFUGEES WITHIN THE TIME LIMIT
BUT HAVE USUALLY DONE SO SOON AFTER AND SINGAPORE'S AGREEMENT
TO THESE SLIGHT OVERSTAYS HAS USUALLY BEEN GIVEN READILY ENOUGH,
5. THE US EMBASSY IS PARTICULARLY EXERCISED BY THE INTRODUCTION WITHOUT CONSULTATION OF MEASURES WHICH REDUCE THE RELATIVE FLEXIBILITY OF THE PRESENT ARRANGEMENTS. THEY ARE UNDER IN- STRUCTIONS TO REGISTER, IF POSSIBLE IN CONCERT WITH OTHER MISSIONS, STRONG DISAPPROVAL WITH THE SINGAPORE GOVERNMENT. AT A MEETING IN THE US EMBASSY ON 26 OCTOBER IT WAS PROPOSED THAT A REP- RESENTATIVE DELEGATION OF HEADS OF MISSION SHOULD CALL, IF
2 CONFIDENTIAL
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