26
GRS 290
CONFIDENTIAL
FM PARIS 180915Z FEB 83
TO PRIORITY FCO
Resethemed.
See 12
"PA Catation See 34
21/2
CONFIDENTIAL
MKK243/2
NO. 51
TELEGRAM NUMBER 143 OF 17 FEBUARY 1983
INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG
INFO ROUTINE GEORGETOWN
VIETNAMESE REFUGEES IN HONG KONG
INDEX
2 2 FEB 1933
PA
↑
A
сказы
1. IN HIS TALKS TODAY WITH THE SECRETARY-GENERAL AT THE QUA D'ORSAY LORD BELSTEAD SAID HE KNEW THAT FRANCE HAD ALREADY BEEN VERY GENEROUS IN TAKING IN VIETNAMESE REFUGEES. BUT HONG KONG WAS IN GREAT DIFFICULTY. COULD NO MORE REFUGEES FROM HONG KONG BE TAKEN ON FRENCH TERRITORY?
2. GUTMANN SAID THAT SINCE 1975 150,000 REFUGEES FROM VIETNAM HAD HAD SETTLED IN FRANCE. IN ABSOLUTE TERMS THIS NUMBER WAS NOT INTOLERABLE. BUT THE REFUGEES INSISTED ON CONCENTRATING IN CERTAIN AREAS, ESPECIALLY PARIS. THIS HAD CAUSED ACUTE PROBLEMS OF HOUSING AND EMPLOYMENT. BECAUSE OF THIS THE FRENCH GOVERNMENT HAD SCALED DOWN ITS PLANS FOR THE INTAKE OF REFUGEES AND DECIDED TO GIVE PRIORITY TO FAMILY REUNIFICATION. IT HAD BEEN DECIDED TO TAKE 5,500 MORE REFUGEES IN THAT CATEGORY. DETAILS OF ANOTHER 5,000WERE BEING COLLECTED, BUT IT WAS NOT YET KNOWN IF THESE COULD BE TAKEN AS WELL. THERE WERE THE ADDITIONAL PROBLEMS OF INDIVIDUALS OF INDETERMINATE NATIONALITY WITHIN VIETNAM, OF BOAT PEOPLE PICKED UP BY FRENCH ORGANISATIONS AND OF CAMBODIANS IN VIETNAM, GUTMANN CONCLUDED BY SAYING THAT HE WOULD LOOK AGAIN INTO THE QUESTION, BUT HELD OUT NO HOPE OF A FORTHCOM- BING RESPONSE.
3. LORD BELSTEAD ASKED IF ANY FRENCH TERRITORIES OUTSIDE METRO- POLITAN FRANCE MIGHT BE ABLE TO TAKE 'IN REFUGEES. GUTMANN SAID THAT ALMOST ALL REFUGEES WANTED TO GO TO METROPOLITAN FRANCE, AND ONCE THEY WERE ON FRENCH TERRITORY THIS COULD NOT BE PRE- VENTED. ATTEMPTS HAD BEEN MADE TO SETTLE SOME MONG TRIBES-PEOPLE IN GUIANA WHICH CLOSELY MATCHED THE CONDITIONS OF THEIR ORIGINAL HOMELAND. BUT ONLY 200 REMAINED THERE THE REST WERE PROBABLY IN THE 13TH ARRONDISSEMENT IN PARIS BY NOW.
FRETWEELL
LIMITED
WED
SEAD
H KG D UND
PS/LORD BELSTEAD
SIR J BULLARD
HR GIFFALD
MIL DONALD
HR GOODISON
CONFIDENTIAL