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week in our delegation to the UNHCR Executive Committee meeting in Geneva where among others they met the Swedish delegation who said they were intending to take an as yet undecided number of Vietnamese refugees from Hong Kong next year. [UNHCR figures available here indicate that so far Sweden has taken 2,386 boat people (52 up to 30 June this year) in a total of 3,123 refugees from Indochina as a whole between April 1975 and June 1982, but they have not taken any this year from Hong Kong].
5.
The Swedes said in passing (though you should protect this) that a demarche in Stockholm to the new immigration Minister would be useful. I imagine that if it does not increase the numbers taken, it may nevertheless help keep the Swedes up to the mark of their good intentions. Could I ask you to arrange a demarche perhaps at the level of the Ambassador - which could draw on the above and might also refer to a remark I gather Olaf Palme made on taking office to the effect that Sweden would pursue a sympathetic policy in the matter of refugees. Anything the Swedish Government can do would be appreciated I am sure as much by the Hong Kong authorities as by the Vietnamese themselves.
cc:
R Margolis Esq
Dep Pol Ad, Hong Kong
BD Adams Esq
UKMIS, Geneva
S J Gomersall Esq
Washington
Mr Hoare, HKGD
Mr Collins, WED
lows ever.
your;
Chintophe Pega.
CMJ Segar
South East Asian Department
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