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their own refugee programmes could be affected if the
British commitment does not continue.
5.
Meanwhile, refugees will continue to arrive in the
UK from Hong Kong in limited numbers as the last 1,000 quota
places are filled, and under the normal process of accepting
close family members of refugees already settled in the UK. Home Office officials are currently reviewing their criteria on family reunion for South-East Asian refugees, and it is
for them rather than for us to introduce this aspect into the ministerial correspondence if they think it necessary to
do so.
6.
The Governor's preference is still for agreement now on a modest continuing quota for the UK; say 250 a month for
the remainder of 1981. However, since the offtake under the
present quota will continue for some time (possibly two or
three months at the present rate), and since there is as yet
no clear evidence that the situation is about to deteriorate
sharply, it would be best not to press this proposal on the Prime Minister and the Home Secretary now. Apart from anything else, to do so might prejudice the request which we have already put to Mr Whitelaw on behalf of Hong Kong on the
Nationality Bill.
7.
We should, however, make clear that this is not a final
recommendation and that we will need to keep the Hong Kong
position under review during the summer.
8.
On boat rescues,
we should support the proposal to go
on accepting refugees on a case by case basis, as argued in
onja the Secretary of State for Trade's minute of 20 March and endorsed in the Home Secretary's of 27 March.
7 May 1981
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K FX Burns
South East Asian Department
CYNWIIVENTT AT
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