Mr Donald
EN
VIETNAMESE REFUGEES IN HONG KONG
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Problem
1.
Whether to recommend a further 'quota' of Vietnamese
refugees from Hong Kong?
Recommendation
2. I submit a draft minute from the Secretary of State to
the Prime Minister which concludes that no further commitment
should be undertaken, but that the situation should be kept
under close review. HKGD concur.
Background
3.
In recent exchanges of correspondence between the Home Secretary, the Secretary of State and No 10, it was agreed
that all of the 10,000 refugees covered by the July 1979 commitment should come from Hong Kong, thus in effect making
available the 700 places that had been reserved for boat people picked up at sea by British shipping; and that until the Secretary of State had reported on his visit to Hong
Kong, guarantees of resettlement may be given for any rescues
at sea by British ships.
4.
Although the Governor of Hong Kong did not press for a. further 'quota' during the Secretary of State's visit, he has since updated the Hong Kong situation in his telegram No 462. This shows that although the present situation is under reasonable control (total number of refugees down to about 17,000), there is at least a possibility that the net outflow from Hong Kong will go into reverse. Already arrivals from Vietnam are up on last year's figures. The Governor also points out that the Americans are continuing to imply that
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