ONS 300
CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
231
MKK 243/1
26 JAN 1979 A
RECEIVED IN REGIARY NG. 51
FM STOCKHOLM 241405Z JAN 1979
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELEGRAM NUMBER 16 OF 24 JANUARY 1979
RE
INDEX
PA
Action
on
No
Jsalı
INFO ROUTINE GOVERNOR HONG KONG UKMIS NEW YORK SAVING TO ROME CANBERRA WASHINGTON OTTAWA WELLINGTON OSLO BERNE VIENNA BRUSSELS THE HAGUE DUBLIN COPENHAGEN BONN BUENOS AIRES
BRASILIA TOKYO HANOI
YOUR TELNO 36 TO CANBERRA
VIETNAMESE REFUGEES
1, HEAD OF CHANCERY SPOKE AS INSTRUCTED TO HIRDMAN, THE HEAD OF DEPARTMENT IN MFA DEALING WITH INDO- CHINA, AND LEFT AN AIDE MEMOIRE. 2. HIRDMAN RECALLED THAT THE SWEDISH GOVERNMENT HAD HITHERTO TAKEN THE VIEW THAT THE BEST CONTRIBUTION SWEDEN COULD MAKE TO INTERNATIONAL REFUGEE PROBLEMS WAS TO COLLABORATE WITH THE WHOR IN TAKING SOUTH AMERICAN REFUGEES WHO HAD NO WHERE ELSE TO 00. SWEDEN HAD ALSO CONTRIBUTED FUNDS THROUGH THE UNHCR IN JUNE WID DECEMBER 1973 TO ASSIST THE RESETTLEMENT OF REFUGEES FROM INDC- CHINA ELSEWHERE IN THE AREA. HOWEVER, IN VIEW OF THE WORSENING SITUATION SWEDISH GOVERNMENT HAD RECOGNISED THAT MONEY ALONE WAS NO LONGER ENOUGH AND THEY HAD ON 12 JANUARY ANNOUNCED THEIR WILLINGNESS TO ACCEPT 250 BOAT REFUGEES FOR SETTLEMENT IN SVEDEN.
3. HIRDMAN SAID THAT IT HAD NOT YET BEEN AGREED WITH THE UNHCR IDW THE 250 REFUGEES WERE TO BE SELECTED, HE WOULD SUBMIT OUR AIDE MEMOIRE TO FOREIGN MINISTER AND GIVE US A RESPONSE IN DUE COURSE.
4. I THINK IT UNLIKELY IN THE PRESENT SITUATION HERE THAT SWEDISH GOVERNMENT CAN BE PERSUADED IN THE IMMEDIATE FUTURE TO IMPROVE ON THEIR OFFER TO TAKE 250 IMMIGRANTS FROM INDO- CHINA ALL TOLD. THERE HAS ALREADY BEEN SOME OPPOSITION TO THAT DECISION FROM THE MMIGRATION AUTHORITIES WHO FEAR THAT THE NEW QUOTA MAY PROVE TO BE AT THE EXPENSE OF THE LATIN AMERIGANS( WITH WHOM THEY ARE
3
/NOW
CONFIDENTIAL
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