Secretary of State
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VIETNAMESE REFUGEES
A
1.
B
C
D
E
In my minute of 22 June I said that we would be in real difficulties if a humanitarian conference were held in Geneva in mid-July and if we were unable to offer a new quota of
Now that Waldheim has refugees or new finance to the UNHCR. called a 'humanitarian' conference on 20/21 July, there is an urgent need for you and the Home Secretary to meet with the Prime Minister
as, proposed in your minute to her of 25 July
to agree what we can offer.
2.
We are already conspicuous in not responding to UNHCR's questionnaire of 14 June on refugee intake and finance: Waldheim's Under-Secretary General has stressed this pointedly see UKMIS Geneva telegram No 253. If we are not in a position to promise sizeable contributions when Waldheim comes here on 12 July, we will lose all our credibility as progenitors of the conference. Waldheim's own message to the Prime Minister calling this conference refers to the need for "significantly increased. resettlement opportunities and financial support".
Refugee Intake
3. We need to get as near as possible to UNHCR's indicative
The best position figure of 10,000 new refugee places in the UK.
would be to announce that figure, but deduct from it the unexpired portion (600) of our present quota, as I suggested in my minute under reference. But you have yet to convince the Home Secretary beyond his maximum of 1,000 a year for
five years.
The least that Peter Blaker and I think would now be understood internationally is a gross figure of 7,500 as in option (e) (i) of my minute. Even this will look pretty ungenerous and people will know it falls short of UNHCR's figure. Since 1975 3,184 refugees from Indo-China have arrived or been allowed to stay in this country (figures on 27 June).
/4. Hong Kong