Mr Clift lift
CONFIDENTIAL
Reference
HKK 243 ||
RESSIVED IN SHVATRY NO. 51
-3 JUN W
PLSK OFF TH
A
97
A
VIETNAMESE REFUGEES
Che
No
21/2 / AF 2 11/1
1. In Mr Heywood's letter of 4 May to Mrs Yu, he suggested we talk to the Home Office about the possibility of their agreeing to use a wider definition of 'family' for Vietnamese refugee family reunion policy. This was seen as a possible way of keeping a small flow from Hong Kong to the UK.
2. I have discussed this with Mr Spence of the Home Office. He says there is no chance of any relaxation. MPS and Home Office ministers have just discovered that instead of the quotas of 1,000 and 10,000 announced in Parliament, more than 16,500 have been admitted. Ministers and officials expect strong criticism of this. In addition, there is at present a commitment to take 1500 Poles from Austria and the Home Office are worried about the Falkland Islanders and Anglo-Argentines.
3. I passed this on to Mrs Yu and said that it was for the Hong Kong Government to decide how to proceed. My own view is that if Hong Kong want to get anywhere they should raise it with the Prime Minister during her visit.
CODE 18-77
2 June 1982
OK.
Bu 15
Ви
Jolly
Noted
AF 3/6
Juliana
P J Williamson
CONFIDENTIAL