AFO 03/27
YS 250
CONFIDENTIAL
TELELETTER
FROM P W FORD, PARIS
DATED 27 OCTOBER 1982
FOLLOWING FOR R P MARGOLIS, HONG KONG
COPIED TO C MJ SEGAR, SEAD, FCO
R J F HOARE, HKGD, FCO
BD ADAMS, UKMIS GENEVA
にコ
4/27
HKK 243||
RECONEC
INDEX
No
TRY NO! $1
PROPOSED RESETTLEMENT OF VIETNAMESE REFUGEES IN FRENCH GUYANA
256
1. IN YOUR TELELETTER OF 14 OCTOBER YOU ASKED IF THIS EMBASSY COULD SEEK PERMISSION FOR MR STUMPF OF THE HONG KONG COMMUNITY COUNCIL TO VISIT FRENCH GUYANA.
NIR.
2. AS YOU WILL SEE FROM OUR TEL NO 006 TO HONG KONG OF 29 SEPTEMBER 1981, THE FRENCH GAVE THEIR AGREEMENT IN PRINCIPLE TO SUCH A VISIT
WE LAST YEAR AND ASKED TO KNOW THE DATE OF MR STUMPF'S ARRIVAL. HAVE NO RECORD ON OUR FILE OF YOUR HAVING REPLIED TO THAT TELEGRAM. WHEN WE GO BACK TO THE FRENCH AGAIN NOW IT WOULD BE USEFUL IF WE COULD EXPLAIN WHY MR STUMPF DID NOT TAKE UP LAST YEAR'S OPPORTUNITY (PERHAPS IT WAS BECAUSE HE HAD ALREADY SET OFF ON HIS TOUR WHEN OUR TEL NO 006 REACHED YOU?) AND PROPOSE PRECISE DATES. OTHERWISE IF WE JUST ASK WHETHER THE FRENCH ARE WILLING TO RECEIVE HIM WE MAY LOSE THE GROUND WON LAST YEAR.
2. AS YOU SURMISE MR STUMPF'S CHANCES OF SUCCESS ARE VERY SLIM. THERE IS ALREADY A MAJOR PROBLEM IN FRENCH GUYANA CAUSED BY THE ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION OF HAITIANS. IN ADDITION THE FRENCH AS YOU KNOW HAVE ALREADY TAKEN MANY VIETNAMESE REFUGEES ESPECIALLY FROM THAILAND. A FURTHER CONSIDERATION IS THAT THERE ARE LESS RESTRICTIONS ON THE ENTRY INTO METROPOLITAN FRANCE OF FOREIGN RESIDENTS OF FRENCH OVERSEAS DEPARTMENTS SUCH AS FRENCH GUYANA THAN THERE ARE ON ENTRY BY FOREIGNERS GENERALLY.
3.
EVEN IF THE AUTHORITIES IN FRENCH GUYANA WERE NOT NEGATIVE MR STUMPF WOULD STILL NEED OF COURSE TO PERSUADE THE AUTHORITIES IN PARIS. IT SEEMS TO US THAT HE WOULD BE WELL ADVISED TO TALK AT AN EARLY STAGE TO THE MINISTRY OF OVERSEAS DEPARTMENTS AND TERRITORIES. PERHAPS HE COULD DO THAT EITHER ON HIS WAY TO CAYENNE OR ON HIS WAY BACK. WE WOULD TRY TO ARRANGE AN APPOINTMENT
FOR HIM IF HE WISHED.
SIGNED P W FORD