BACKGROUND NOTE
References
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
Letter from Secretary of State to Mr Jack Ashby MP -
19 January
Written Answer (Commons) on Hong Kong's admission policy
16 January
Written Answer (Commons) on admission of another 1,500
refugees to UK 17 January
FCO tel No 36 to Canberra on approaches to other governments
19 January
Hong Kong tel No 225 on the SKYLUCK 7 February.
D
Refugees from Vietnam;
1. On 19 January, instructions were issued to certain posts for
approaches to be made to other governments seeking additional
resettlement offers to relieve the burden on Hong Kong. The
Government of Hong Kong took similar action locally with Consuls-
General of the countries we approached. The overall response was generally disappointing, though some governments are still
considering our approaches. Other governments, however (particularl the USA, Canada, the FRG and Australia), are already processing
applications for permanent resettlement in their countries, from
Vietnamese refugees presently in Hong Kong. The only new offer
made so far as a result of our lobbying exercise was one by an Italian farmer to look after one Vietnamese family (of 5-8 persons)
for one year prior to permanent settlement in Italy. The Italian
Government agreed and a family will be taken from among the
refugees in Hong Kong.
/2.
То
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