05MHUVE
НИИ
24.3
RECEIVED IN RECIST HY
22 SEP 1993
DESK CRE
INDEX
1
REGISTRY
tion Taken
143
No
HOFO 049/21
TT FCO
GR 400
CONFIDENTIAL
TELELETTER
2
24/1183
fee drafts - both cleard
W. SEAD FUND
Master
Seene rather confused to me A wider What we shid до
FROM: D.G. JEAFFRESON, SECRETARY FOR SECURITY, HONG KONG
FILE REF: SCR 56/4821/79 VH
Th4219
131
DATED 21 SEPTEMBER 1983
FOLLOWING FOR: R.D. CLIFT, AKD, JFCO
YOUR TELELETTER OF 15 SEPTEMBER: VIETNAMESE REFUGEES.
MANY THANKS FOR YOUR REPLY.
2. ON (A) THE HOME OFFICE CERTAINLY DID NOT (NOT) GIVE ME THE IMPRESSION THAT THEY WOULD CONSIDER A QUOTA ONLY IN THE CONTEXT OF INVOLUNTARY REPATRIATION. THEIR MUCH LESS INFLEXIBLE ATTITUDE
WAS THAT SUCH A PACKAGE MIGHT BE WORTH PURSUING. ALSO, AS I UNDERSTOOD IT, THEY WERE GOING TO TAKE THE ISSUE UP WITH YOU. I AM SURPRISED THEY APPARENTLY HAVE NOT DONE SO. SHOULD BE GRATEFUL IF YOU WOULD GIVE THEM A NUDGE (IT WAS HAYDEN-PHILIPS
I SPOKE TO). THE FACT IS THAT THE ABSENCE OF A BRITISH QUOTA
IS CAUSING DIFFICULTIES. AS AN EXAMPLE OF THE NEGATIVE CONSEQUENCES,
WE GATHER THAT THE AMERICAN DIRECTOR OF LUTHERAN IMMIGRATION
AND REFUGEE SERVICE WHEN VISITING LONDON WAS TOLD BY THE HOME
OFFICE THAT BRITAIN WAS RELUCTANT EVEN TO ACCEPT FAMILY REUNION
CASES. AS A RESULT SHE APPEARED TO OUR NEW YORK OFFICE AS HOSTILE
TO HONG KONG'S PROBLEM. MORE POSITIVELY, UNHCR STILL ADHERE TO
THE VIEW THAT IF HMG PREFERABLY AT MINISTERIAL LEVEL CAN ANNOUNCE
PUBLICLY THAT IN RECOGNITION OF HONG KONG'S DIFFICULTIES THE UK WILL TAKE 1,000 REFUGEES FROM OPEN CAMPS PROVIDED OTHER RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES CONTRIBUTE LIKEWISE, THEN OTHER RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES
WILL RESPOND WELL.
3. WHILE I APPRECIATE THAT THE PREVIOUS SECRETARY OF STATE RULED
AGAINST FORCIBLE REPATRIATION OF REFUGEES, MY INTERPRETATION
OF YOUR TELNO 174 TO UKMIS GENEVA WAS THAT YOU WERE PREPARED TO
CONSIDER INVOLUNTARY REPATRIATION OF ARRIVALS FROM VIETNAM WHO DID NOT (NOT) QUALIFY AS REFUGEES ACCORDING TO THE CRITERIA OF THE RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES. SUCH ARRIVALS, WOULD BE CLASSIFIED AS ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS.