GRS 275
CONFIDENTIAL
EM HONG KONG 251112Z OCT 79
PRIORITY FCO
TELEGRAM NUMBER 1497 OF 25 OCTOBER
CONFIDEN MAL
HKK 243/1 RECEIVED IN REGISTRY NO. 51
28 OCT 1977
INFO PRIORITY WASHINGTON
DESK OFFICER INDEX
PAI
REGISTRY
x
INFO ROUTINE UKMIS GENEVA, HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON. VIETNAMESE REFUGEES: US RESETTLEMENT PROGRAMME-
1. WE HAVE LEARNED THAT THE NUMBER OF REFUGEES GOING FROM HONG KONG TO THE US THIS MONTH IS UNLIKELY TO BE MUCH MORE THAN 1,000, COMPARED WITH THE PLANNED QUOTA OF 2,000. THIS IS EXTREMELY DISAPPOINTING AND THE POLITICAL ADVISER TOLD THE US CONSUL-GENERAL TODAY OF OUR CONCERN. SHOESMITH SAID HE SHARED OUR DISMAY. THE PROBLEM STEMMED FROM BUREAUCRATIC DIFFICULTIES, MAINLY CONCERNING PROCESSING ARRANGEMENTS FOR FINAL CLEARANCE BETWEEN THE VARIOUS US AGENCIES INVOLVED AND ICEM. ICEM HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE YET TO ORGANISE MEDICAL EXAMINATIONS IN A WAY WHICH CONCENTRATES ON REFUGEES OTHERWISE FULLY CLEARED FOR DEPARTURE TO
THE US.
2. SHOESMITH WAS FAIRLY CONFIDENT THAT THE ROOT CAUSES HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED. IT MIGHT TAKE A FEW WEEKS FOR REVISED PROCEDURES TO WORK SMOOTHLY, AND HE THOUGHT THERE WAS NOTHING WE COULD DO TO HELP MEANWHILE. THE ONLY CONSOLING POINT HE MADE WAS THAT THE CONSUL ATE-GENERAL HAD AUTHORITY TO CARRY OVER THE SHORTFALL IN OCTOBER TO NOVEMBER (HE DID NOT THINK ICE WOULD HAVE DIFFICULTY IN FINDING INCREASED PLACES IN NOVEMBER).
3. THE HUGE US SHORTFALL MEANS WE WILL BE LUCKY TO HAVE A TOTAL OF 3,000 DEPARTURES IN OCTOBER, A THOUSAND LESS THAN THE LEVEL WE HAD HOPE TO ACHIEVE. THE POSITION WOULD HAVE BEEN WORSE DUT FOR THE INCREASED MOVEMENT TO THE UK THIS MONTH, FOR WHICH WE ARE GRAT FUL.
MACLEHOSE
FILES
SEAD
FR & GD
UND
FED
EID
PUSD
OID
TPD
NEWS D
PS
PS/LPS
PS/HR BLAKER
FR/PUS
MR CORTAZZI
MR PHMOBERLY
MR HORRAK
MA STRANTON
LORD NG LAMINOE
ADDITIONAL DISTRIBUTION
BOAT PEOPLE
ADVANCED
AS
REQUESTED
CONFIDENTIAL
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