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FM F C O 021902Z AUG 79
TO PRIORITY UKMIS GENEVA
TELEGRAM NUMBER 173 OF 2 AUGUST
INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG, STOCKHOLM, THE HAGUE,
MIPT
PA
ROUTINE WASHINGTON, OTTAWA, BUENOS AIRES, CANBERRA, VIENNA, BRUSSELS, COPENHAGEN, PARIS, BONN, ROME, TEL AVIV, WELLINGTON, OSLO, MADRID, BERNE.
FOLLOWING IS REDRAFT OF NOTE TO UNHCR :
BEGINS
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(FORMAL OPENING) .....AND HAVE THE HONOUR TO DRAW TO THE ATTENTION OF THE OFFICE THE IMPORTANCE WHICH THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT, ATTACH TO THE EQUITABLE MANAGEMENT OF THE RESETTLEMENT PROGRAMMES FOR REFUGEES AND DISPLACED PERSONS NOW IN CAMPS IN SE ASIA.
THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT WISH TO PLACE ON RECORD THEIR CONCERN THAT THE MARKED CHANGES WHICH HAVE TAKEN PLACE IN THE PATTERN OF ARRIVALS OF REFUGEES IN PLACES OF FIRST ASYLUM IN S E ASIA DURING THE
FIRST HALF OF 1979 HAVE NOT YET BEEN ADEQUATELY REFLECTED IN THE
ALLOCATION OF RESETTLEMENT PLACES, IN PARTICULAR ALLOCATIONS TO DATE DO NOT APPEAR TO TAKE SUFFICIENT ACCOUNT OF THE HEAVY BURDEN CARRIED BY HONG KONG.
THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT ARE FURTHER CONCERNED TO LEARN THAT WHEN
RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES HAVE SOUGHT THE GUIDANCE OF THE OFFICE OF THE HIGH COMMISSIONER IN RECENT WEEKS ON THE ALLOCATION OF FUTURE QUOTAS OF RESETTLEMENT PLACES, THE OFFICE'S RECOMMENDATIONS HAVE IN CERTAIN CASES NOT INCLUDED THE ADVICE THAT A FAIR PROPORTION OF PLACES SHOULD BE MADE AVAILABLE FOR REFUGEES NOW AWAITING RESETTLE-
MENT IN HONG KONG, THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT TRUST THAT RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES WILL IN FUTURE TAKE FULL ACCOUNT OF THE NEEDS OF REFUGEES IN HONGKONG WHEN DECIDING ON THE ALLOCATION OF THEIR QUOTAS AND THAT
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