Foreign and Commonwealth Office London SW1A 2AH
PA
Telephone 01- 233 8631
CONFIDENTIAL
Colin Birt Esq
Home Office
Lunar House Croydon
HKK 243//
BEGIVER INI BEGISTRY RO. 51 250CT 1978
DESK OFICER INDEX.
REC R7
Action
Your reference
Our reference
Date
(240
25 October 1978
REFUGEES IN AND FROM INDO-CHINA
1.
I enclose a copy of a letter I have received from the Assistant Political Adviser in Hong Kong. It provides a good deal of background and statistics on the refugee problem there which I am sure will be of use to you in considering whether the UK can offer further help to the Colony by admitting into the UK some more refugees from Hong Kong (the subject of Lord Goronwy-Roberts' letter of 5 October to your Minister). If you think it would help, I can ask Ian Orr to produce the memorandum on Hong Kong's refugee problem which he has suggested in the last paragraph of his letter.
2. As you know, the UNHCR Executive Committee recently called on the High Commissioner for Refugees to convene, before the end of 1978, an international conference to find solutions to the Indo-Chinese refugee problem. It is not yet clear when it is to be held but the UK will undoubtedly participate. At the conference, greater efforts will be called for of the international community to alleviate the problem. It occurs to me that the conference would be an ideal opportunity for the UK to kill two birds with one stone: an announcement that we are prepared to admit several hundred more "boat refugees" (to come mostly from Hong Kong with smaller numbers from Malaysia and Thailand) would be a worthwhile contribution to the general problem and a specific contribution to alleviating Hong Kong's burden. should be interested to know what you think.
cc (without enc):
HK & GD SEAD
P Morgan
United Nations Department