RESTRICTED

150

RESTRICTED

FROM FCO 2907052 SEP 79

TO ROUTINE HONG KONG

TELEGRAM NUMBER 732 OF 29TH SEPT

INFO UKMIS GENEVA.

HKK 243

по

J2.1

1733

MOVEMENT OF REFUGEES FROM HONG KONG TO UK.

ace/1744

1. THE HOME OFFICE ARE CONCERNED THAT THEIR PLANS TO MOVE REFUGEES OUT OF HONG KONG BETWEEN NOW AND THE END OF THE YEAR SHOULD NOT BE HELD UP BY ANY BOTTLE NECK IN THE TRANSPORT ARRANGEMENTS BEING MADE BY ICEM. AS YOU KNOW, THE PLAN IS

TO BRING OUT AT LEAST 500 REFUGEES A MONTH DURING OCTOBER-DECEMBER IN ADDITION TO THE 655 WHO WERE DUE TO LEAVE THIS MONTH UNDER THE PREVIOUS QUOTA. THIS PROGRAMME IS UNDER REVIEW IN THE LIGHT OF YOUR LETTER OF 31 AUGUST TO WOODFIELD, AND MAY BE FURTHER ACCELERATED.

2. GRATEFUL TO KNOW WHETHER ICEM ARE MAKING TRAVEL PLANS ACCORDINGLY OR WHETHER YOU ANTICIPATE ANY HOLD-UPS, DEPENDING ON YOUR REPORT, WE SHALL. CONSIDER WHETHER TO APPROACH ICEM HEADQUARTERS IN GENEVA, BEARING IN MIND THAT THIS WOULD NEED TO BE DONE TACTFULLY SINCE WE ARE NO LONGER MEMBERS OF ICEM AND MAKE NO CONTRIBUTION TO THEIR FUNDS (ALTHOUGH THEY ARE REIMBURSED BY UNHCR FOR THE TRANSPORT COSTS IN THIS CASE).

CARRINGTON

FILES

HK & GD:

SEAD

UND

TED

EID

ZUSD

OID

TPD

NEWS D

PS

PS/LPS

DB/MR BLAKER

28/PUS

SER A DOMF

MR COMPAZZI

NR MURRAY

MR STRATTON

LORD IG LENNOX

2

RESTRICTED

ADDITIONAL DISTRIBUSION

BOAT PEOPLE

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