CONFIDENTIAL
RECORD OF FURTHER MEETING WITH PREMIER, TUESDAY 20 MAY AT 4.30PM
Present:
Mr Nicholas Ridley MP
Mr Temple
Sir Peter Ramsbotham
Mr Gibbons
1
Mr Gibbons said that his Cabinet had had a long discussion on the question. There was tremendous opposition to taking the eight, and his black members were vey emotional. But basically they accep- ted the moral responsibility for the refugees (although not the legal one). He had a proposal to suggest. Since Mr Ridley's basic interest was in finding homes for eight refugees, he assumed that there was no particular attachment to the specific Fort Hawkesbury eight. Could one of his Ministers, Mr Swan, come to London to say that Bermuda would take 8 Vietnamese refugees from trades which could easily be put to use; there was in Bermuda a shortage of hotel workers and domestic servants. Refugees who came to take jobs in these fields would have their accommodation provided, so there would not be serious implications. Off the record, he went on to say that if this experi- ment was successful, Bermuda could perhaps take more refugees with these skills.
2 Mr Ridley drew on FCO telegram number 73 to Hamilton and offered to provide one month's assimilation training in Britain. He could not say whether Bermudians could choose refugees according to their trades, but would look into it on his return to London. Personally he thought such a swop would be all right. Mr Gibbons repeated that Bermuda might well be able to take more at a later stage to fill the labour shortages in hotels, homes, restaurants etc. Mr Ridley said there was nothing wrong with the Premier's logic; he believed that the principle was that Bermuda were obliged to take eight, but not a specific eight. Mr Gibbons confirmed that we could now tell the Singapore Government that the eight would be resettled; they would come to Britain, and in due course eight refugees would come to Bermuda.
3 Mr Gibbons asked what passports were did not know. Mr Gibbons however agreed "returnability" of the refugees it took. indicate in due course when a visit by Mr
given to refugees. Mr Ridley that Bermuda would accept
Finally he asked us to Swan would be appropriate.
cc
WIAD UND
SEAD
Mr Stratton
MAED
Mr Harding
HKGD
PS/Mr Ridley
Governor, Bermuda
CONFIDENTIAL