THE
OUR DISCUSSIONS WITH THE MFA REFUGEE OFFICE ABOUT THE GRAVITY OF THE PROBLEM IN HONG KONG CONFIRMED THIS IMPRESSION. GIVEN THEM THE LATEST FIGURES ON REFUGEE NUMBERS.) THE MFA
(WE HAVE SAID THAT THEY HAD ASKED UNHCR TO SCREEN REFUGEES IN FIRST ASYLUM COUNTRIES FOR THOSE ELIGIBLE TO SETTLE IN JAPAN BUT SO FAR ONLY ABOUT 32 CANDIDATES HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED INCLUDING 4 FROM HONG KONG, 16 FROM MALAYSIA AND 3 FROM THE PHILIPPINES. OUR IMPRESSION IS THAT THE JAPANESE ARE KEEN TO FILL THE 500 QUOTA FOR RESETTLEMENT HERE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE AND MIGHT EVEN BE PERSUADED TO ENLARGE THE QUOTA SLIGHTLY AND TO RELAX THE CONDITIONS FOR RESETTLEMENT, BUT THAT THERE IS LITTLE CHANCE IN PRESENT CIRCUMSTANCES THAT THEY WOULD AGREE TO CONSIDER ESTABLISHING AN SPC IN JAPAN.
UNITED NATIONS DEPT. PLEASE PASS COPIES TO S D M JACK ESQ., FED, FCO AND BY BAG TO DR SNOXELL ESQ., UKMIS GENEVA AND CHANCERY, WASHINGTON
I AM PASSING COPY TO I C ORR ESQ., GOVERNMENT SECRETARIAT, HONG KONG
RM MARSDEN
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LDX NR 692
TOKYO TL 158
RESTRICTED
LEERITER RESTRICTED
23 JUN 1979
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