A
FDW T/LTR 013/12
TELELETTER TO PEKING
GRS 730
CONFIDENTIAL
TELELETTER
CONFIDENTIAL
24 11
(38
27761
1
Hkk 243/
RECANLO
718. $1
}
་་མ་་-
INDEX
сче
No
16/32
FROM P J WILLIAMSON, HONG KONG AND GENERAL DEPARTMENT
FILE REFERENCE HKK 243/1 DATED 12 MARCH 1982
FOLLOWING FOR R PEIRCE ESQ, PEKING
don Taygo
Ar 1/3
See
1. FOLLOWING IS REPEAT OF HONG KONG TELELETTER OF 11 MARCH TO
FCO:
BEGINS:
PLEASE REFER TO HONG KONG TELNO 239 TO FCO.
VIETNAMESE REFUGEES.
OUR DISCUSSIONS WITH AMBASSADOR VINE CONFIRMED THAT FUTURE
ARRIVALS FROM VIETNAM WHO DID NOT HAVE CLOSE TIES IN THE US
WOULD NOT BE ADMITTED TO THE UNITED STATES. INDEED THE
CRITERIA ARE TO BECOME EVEN MORE RESTRICTED. FURTHERMORE, IN
ADDITION TO DETERMINING ELIGIBILITY FOR ADMISSION UNDER THE NEW
CRITERIA, THE RIGHT OF NEW ARRIVALS TO BE CONSIDERED AS REFUGEES
AT ALL WOULD IN FUTURE BE CLOSELY EXAMINED. RESPONSIBILITY FOR
MAKING THIS ASSESSMENT WOULD REST WITH THE IMMIGRATION AND
NATURALISATION SERVICE.
2. THE NEW POLICY WOULD BE EXTENSIVELY PUBLICISED. AMBASSADOR
VINE HOPED THAT, IF THE PLACES OF FIRST ASYLUM COULD, AS THE
THAIS HAD DONE, CONTRIBUTE BY MAKING REFUGE LESS ATTRACTIVE, A
STEADY DROP IN THE RATE OF DEPARTURES WOULD RESULT.
3. WE EXPLAINED THE LIMITED SCOPE AVAILABLE TO HONG KONG TO DETER
NEW ARRIVALS: THE LACK OF SPACE, THE MINIMUM STANDARDS OF
HUMANITY TO WHICH THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT REMAINS COMMITTED AND
THE POLITICAL SENSITIVITY IN HONG KONG OF PROVIDING ADDITIONAL
FACILITIES, EVEN TEMPORARY AND MAKESHIFT ONES, FOR REFUGEES WHEN
SUCH RESOURCES WERE SO SORELY NEEDED FOR LARGE NUMBERS OF ILL-
HOUSED AND HOMELESS PEOPLE IN HONG KONG. THE PROSPECTS WERE NOW
THAT HONG KONG'S REFUGEE POPULATION WOULD BEGIN TO RISE AGAIN
THIS SUMMER.
1
CONFIDENTIAL