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Foreign and Commonwealth Office
London SW1A 2AH
Ра
(167
JF Nicholson Esq
Voluntary Services Unit
Home Office
Queen Anne's Gate
LONDON SW1H 9AT
Telephone 01-
Your reference
Our reference FA 243/19
Date
18 November 1983
HKK 243/1
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY
18 NOV 1983
Dear Jim,
REFUGEES FROM VIETNAM
REGISTRY
INCEX
FA
Action Taken
1. Thank you for your letter of 2 November enclosing a copy of the second JCRV report. It has been read with interest here and in Hong Kong and United Nations Departments, and as you know, a copy has also been sent to our opposite numbers in Hong Kong who have 14,000 of their own Vietnamese refugees in the territory as well as almost the same number in camps awaiting resettlement elsewhere.
2.
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In this connection, I was interested to see in paragraph 38 of the report some comparisons with the problems faced in other European countries dealing with similar numbers of Vietnamese refugees. While it is quite clear that the problems faced in the UK - eg unemployment, cultural difficulties stemming from the north Vietnamese bias of the UK group
are more severe than elsewhere, it is also true that the resettlement of boat-people world wide has been unique as a refugee exercise and has produced special problems everywhere. Many countries as well as ourselves, with no previous political or cultural ties with the area Germany, Scandinavia for example - have taken substantial There might be some advantage in comparing notes - perhaps through copies of this report with JCRV's counterparts in other countries.
numbers.
3.
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As you know, the American experience is quite different both as to numbers and the cultural background of the refugees. But when Robert Funseth of the State Department was here at the beginning of the month, he expressed surprise that we had encountered so many cultural and language problems and had some quite interesting things to say about arrangements for language and cultural courses held in the South East Asia area for refugees on their way to the US - what they call: ''English-as-a-second-language and cultural orientation'' (ESL/CO). Perhaps this experience could be looked at in due course too.
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4. The only other point I would like to pick up in the report is in paragraph 5. While it would be difficult to predict with confidence a complete end to the exodus, the fact is that total numbers of boat- people have again fallen sharply this year. While the number rescued by UK shipping has by chance been much higher than last year and the number coming over under the Orderly Departure Programme has also increased, the general trend is still downwards, and barring any further political upheaval in the area, emigration from Vietnam as a whole may decline to more manageable numbers within the next few years.
J
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/Finally