I
Our reference:
Your reference:
2
D Clift Esq
HOME OFFICE
Queen Anne's Gate, LONDON, SW1H 9AT
Direct line: 01-213 7292
Hong Kong and General Department Foreign and Commonwealth Office King Charles Street
LONDON SW1A 2AH
Dear Clift,
12
Switchboard: 01-213 3000
HONG KONG TELEGRAM 286 OF 25 FEBRUARY
HICK 24312
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY NO. 51
0 7 MAR 1980
DESK OFFICER
INDEX
REGISTRY
4 March 1980
Action Taken
PA
Mo
JU. 3
Aw 11/2
see (8)
We have been considering the proposals in paragraph 4 of this telegram for altering current practice in call forwards.
I have discussed these suggestions with Alan Marshall of the Joint Committee for Refugees from Vietnam.
I gather that, in practical terms, Hong Kong's suggestions do not take us very far. On A, the agencies apparently already know that they need to get their call forwards in before the 15th of each month in order to guarantee arrival during the same month. We do not want to discourage the agencies, however, from coming forward with call forwards for vacancies which arise between the 15th and the end of the month. The Secretariat are trying to instil in them the doctrine that vacancies be called forward for re-occupation immediately, and we would want to avoid any suggestion that agencies should fall into the habit of regarding the 15th of each month as a point up to which call forward instructions can be allowed to accumulate.
On B, Hong Kong have apparently already been told (on 25 October) that they may replace last minute drop-outs with other refugees (leaving it to them to match the family composition of the people who have had to drop out). It seems, somewhat surprisingly, that Hong Kong have not so far availed themselves of this authority. Were they to do so, it would be a much more flexible instrument than the somewhat crude proposal that we should simply call forward an extra 10% each month. Unless we were very careful, this could prove a recipe for disaster.
In the light of this, we have drafted a reply to Hong Kong which I now attach. You may wish to reply accordingly.
yous increly.
MCHea
ME HEAD