5. THE ABSENCE OF ANY FURTHER HELP FROM THE U.K. WOULD CAUSE GREAT LOCAL CONCERN AND OUR PROBLEMS WITH IMMIGRATION FROM CHINA WOULD MAKE THIS FAR HARDER TO CONTAIN,
6. FOR ALL THE ABOVE REASONS, I HOPE THAT A STRONG CASE CAN BE MADE TO MINISTERS FOR A FURTHER QUOTA OVER AND ABOVE FAMILY REUNION CASES. YOU WILL BE IN A BETTER POSITION THAN ME TO JUDGE HOW MUCH THE ATTITUDE OF UNHCR AND THE AMERICANS WOULD COUNT WITH MINISTERS. I HOPE, NEVERTHELESS, THAT COMMENTS FROM WASHINGTON AND UKMIS CENEVA WILL BE INCLUDED IN ANY RECOMMENDATIONS,
SINCE THE CONTINUED SUPPORT OF UNHCR AND THE AMERICANS WILL BE CRUCIAL IF THE REFUGEE BURDEN HER IS TO BE BROUGHT DOWN TO MANAGEABLE PROPORTIONS BY THE ENND OF NEXT YEAR.
7. ALTHOUGH UNHCR AND THE AMERICANS WOULD NO DOUBT ARGUE THAT THE U.K. QUOTA SHOULD CONTINUE AT ITS PRESENT LEVEL, I APPRECIATE THAT THIS WOULD BE TOO MUCH TO HOFE FOR. BOTH THE SIZE AND THE TIME SCALE WOULD HAVE TO ALLOW FOR A SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN THE LEVEL OF THE RECEPTION CENTRE OPERATION (YOUR PARA 3). A LEVEL OF 5,000 PHASED OVER A YEAR WOULD ACHIEVE THIS. IF THE TOTAL INCLUDED A PROVISION FOR PAST AND FUTURE RESCUES AT SEA THIS WOULD REDUCE THE IMPACT (AND THE NUMBERS TAKEN FROM HONG KONG) TO ABOUT THE MINIMUM POSSIBLE TO SUSTAIN U.S. AND UNHCR SUPPORT AT PRESENT LEVELS.
8. RESETTLEMENT COSTS ARE A MORE DIFFICULT PROBLEM. PRESENTATION- ALLY, IT WOULD BE HARD, IF NOT IMPOSSIBLE, TO PERSUADE UNOFFICIALS THAT HONG KONG SHOULD CONTRIBUTE FUNDS TO RESETTLEMENT COSTS ARISING IN THE U.K. - PARTICULARLY AS THIS WOULD BE SEEN AS A NEW MOVE WHICH WOULD SET A PRECEDENT INVITING PRESSURE BY THE AMERICANS AND OTHERS FOR A SIMILAR CONTRIBUTION FOR RESETTLEMENT COSTS IN THE U.S. AND ELSEWHERE. TO SET SUCH A PRECEDENT WHILE HONG KONG STILL HAS SO MANY MORE BOAT REFUGEES THAN ANYWHERE
ADDITION ALLY ELSE IN THE PEGION WOULD BE, UNPALATABLE.
BEA
9. ONE POSSIBLE SOLUTION WHICH MIGHT SUBSTANTIALLY REDUCE RESETTLEMENT COSTS FOR A NEW QUOTA WOULD BE TO INSTITUTE A LANGUAGE AND ORIENTATION PROGRAMME MORE WHICH WOULD REDUCE
RECEPTION THE TIME SPENT IN U.K, CENTRES. THE AMERICANS ARE ABOUT TO
べ
INSTITUE A 3-MONTH COURSE HERE (WITH COSTS MET BY THEM AND
UNHCR) FOR REFUGEES GOING TO THE U.S. IF WE WERE TO MEET THE COSTS FOR A SIMILAR U.K. PROGRAMME, WE MIGHT
ALSO COME UNDER PRESSURE TO HELP MEET U.S. COSTS. HOWEVER, IF YOU THINK THIS OPTION WOULD MEET HOME OFFICE CONCERN AND SECURE THE NEW QUOTA WE WILL PUT IT TO TTHE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL.
MACLEHOSE
LIMITED
PS
SEAD
PS/LPS
HK & GD
UND
PS/MR BLAKER PS/PUS
SIR E YOUDE
MR DONALD
LORD NG LENNOX
[NOT ADVANCED
2
CONFIDENTIAL
COPIES TO:
HONG KONG GOVT OFFICE