Mr Murray
CONFIDENTIAL
HKK243/1
RECEIVED WP •ADA SV NO. 51
31 MAY 1970
DESK OFFICER INDEX
PA
(69)
INDO-CHINA REFUGEES
1
Джод
(723
القوم
Action on your minute of 21 May has awaited my return from the UN Working Group in Paris. Your minute requested
to initiate briefing on this subject for Mr Bullard at the Political Committee.
me
2
In the meantime, Ministers are being asked whether they wish to reconfirm the principle, accepted by the previous Administration, that the UK will guarantee the admittance of refugees rescued at sea by UK-registered vessels for whom other
Were we now permanent resettlement arrangements cannod be made.
to water down this principle, it would detract still further
Even if the from the credibility of our position among the Nine. principle is confirmed, I do not believe that either our position or the differing positions of our partners are such that we can have any real hope of persuading the Nine to make an effective contribution a neuf on behalf of Indo-China refugees.
3
Nor, even if the Nine could agree on a joint policy, do I see much value in the Presidency's approaching UNHCR "to ask in what way the Nine can help other than in accepting more refugees on which
they are already doing very creditably"
-
I do not think the UK si doing particularly creditably, and should an adverse decision come out of current ministerial consideration we shall be seen to be doing even worse. Thus I would not myself include the UK among the countries "who cannot reasonably do more" (your para 2). Of course, we cannot expect our new Ministers immediately to agree to a further quota to add to the 1,500 already on their way here.
recommendation by officials to
this effect ought surely to be made sooner rather than later. (And Let us not forget that the responsible Minister of State at the Home Office is one of the 3 Englishmen responsible for the 1957 (?) International Refugee Year.)
But the real point here is that the UNHCR's concern, above all else, is in getting not only the present recipient countries to increase their resettlement offers, but other countries who have done nothing so far to take some refugees. I am sure you are realistic to rule out the possibility that the Nine would at present be prepared to offer a significant number of extra places, but I am equally confident UNHCR would not thank us for approaching him on any other basis. I have not seen the Presidency's oral report of the meeting of the Asia Working Group, but the account in FCO telno 92 to UKMis Geneva does not suggest that the
CONFIDENTIAL
/prospects