GR 790
GPS 790-
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG 121005Z SEP
NOTED
Ari
26/91
CONFIDENTIAL
TO PRIORITY FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE TELEGRAM NUMBER 1170 OF 12 SEPTEMBER, 1980 INFO HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON.
PERSONAL FOR DONALD.
YOUR TELNO 753: VIETNAMESE REFUGEES.
30 Zulhus
HICK 243/2
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY NO. 51 18 SEP 1980
R
PA
Mo
1324
REGISTRY Action Taken.
AW 13/1
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1. WE WOULD CERTAINLY HAVE PRESENTATIONAL PROBLEMS IF IT BECAME PUBLICLY KNOWN THAT THE 10,000 QUOTA INCLUDED REFUGEES RESCUED AT SEA BY U.K. FLAG VESSELS, HOWEVER, THE DIFFICULTIES WOULD NOT BE CONFINED TO THE REACTION HERE. UNHCR AND THE AMERICANS (WHO HAVE BEEN DISAPPOINTED AT THE FACE OF THE U.K. PROGRAMME) MIGHT WELL RESPOND SHARPLY, SINCE THE LANGUAGE USED BY THE SECRETARY OF STATE, WHEN HE SPOKE AT THE GENEVA CONFERENCE ON 20 JULY 1979 GAVE NO HINT OF THE QUALIFICATIONS SURROUNDING THE QUOTA. THE ONLY WAY ROUND THIS PROBLEM, SHORT OF A MODIFICATION OF THE 1979 CABINET DECISION, WOULD BE TO MASK THE NUMBERS FOR RESCUE AT SEA IN A NEW QUOTA.
2. THE CRUCIAL ISSUE LOCALLY (AND ALSO NO DOUBT FOR UNHCR AND THE AMERICANS) IS, HOWEVER, THAT OF A FURTHER QUOTA. COMPARED WITH THAT, ANY DIFFICULTIES OVER THE NUMBER TAKEN UNDER THE PRESENT QUOTA BEING ABOUT 509 LESS THAN EXPECTED ARE MINOR. BY THE END OF THE YEAR IT IS LIKELY THAT VIRTUALLY ALL BOAT REFUGEES ELSEWHERE. IN THE REGION WILL HAVE BEEN RESETTLED. BY THEN WE EXPECT STILL TO HAVE BETWEEN 22 AND 25,08% (EXLUDING THOSE FROM CHINA). WE MUST ALSO ASSUME THAT (EVEN WITHOUT A RENEWED EXODUS) DIRECT ARRIVALS FROM VIETNAM WILL CONTINUE AT THEIR PRESENT LEVEL. ALLOWING FOR SEASONAL VARIATIONS, THAT WOULD MEAN ABOUT A FURTHER 8,000 ARRIVALS BETWEEN NOW AND THE END OF SEPTEMBER 1981.
3. THE PRESENT U.S. INDO/CHINA REFUGEE PROGRAMME OF. 14,000 A MONTH IS ONLY FUNDED UP TO 32 SEPTEMBER, THOUGH THERE IS PUBLIC COMMITMENT BY VICE PRESIDENT MONDALE FOR IT TO CONTINUE FOR A FURTHER YEAR. THE US-CONSULATE GENERAL HOPE THAT THE PRESENT QUOTA FOR HONG KONG OF 1,580 PER MONTH WILL BE MAINTAINED: BUT EVEN IF CONGRESS VOTES FULL FUNDING, THE ALLOCATION OF QUOTAS WILL BE SUBJECT TO CONTINUING REVIEW. I FEAR HONG KONG'S WOULD BE SHARPLY CUT BACK IF THERE WERE NO RENEWED U.K. COMMITMENT
AFTER THE PRESENT QUOTA IS COMPLETED.
4. APART FROM THE AMERICANS, NO OTHER SIGNIFICANT NEW OR CONTINUING QUOTAS ARE IN SIGHT. THE CANADIAN COMMISSION EXPECT
THAT THEIR PROGRAMME NEXT YEAR WILL ONLY COVER FAMILY REUNION,
CONFIDENTIAL
/5. THE ABSENCE
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