CONFIDENTIAL
PP GEMIS
FM FCOLN TO GEMIS
221455Z AUG
GRS 543
CONFIDENTIAL
FM FCO
TO PRIORITY UKMIS GENEVA
TELNO 191
CONFIDENTIAL
3689 - 1
_MKKC 443/2
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY
23 AUG 1983
DESK OFFICES
INDEX
DEGISTRY
PA
་་་་་་་
•43)
129
OF 221455Z AUGUST 85
FOLLOWING TELEGHRAM NOW REPEATED TO YOU AT REQUEST OF HKD
WAS SENT TO HONG KONG TELEGRAM NO 1167 OF 16/8
OUR TELNO 1041: VIETNAMESE REFUGEES: SCORRI REPORT
1. THE SECRETARY OF STATE AND THE HOME SECRETARY MET ON 1 AUGUST
AND THE HOME SECRETARY AGREED THAT, IN ADDITION TO THE FAMILY
REUNION CASES, HE WILL CONSIDER ACCEPTING FURTHER LIMITED NUMBERS
OF REFUGEES FROM HONG KONG, WITHOUT A COMMITMENT TO A SPECIFIC
FIGURE UNTIL RESPONSES FROM OTHER COUNTRIES ARE KNOWN. THE HOME
OFFICE HAVE NOW PROPOSED TO RESPOND TO SCORRI RECOMMENDATION
5(III) IN THE WHITE PAPER AS FOLLOWS: 'HAVING REGARD TO THE
COMMITTEE'S RECOMMENDATION THAT IF NECESSARY AND AS PART OF A
BURDEN SHARING AGREEMENT BRITAIN SHOULD ACCEPT A SMALL SHARE OF
THOSE WHO ARE HARD TO RESETTLE AND HAVE SPENT YEARS IN CAMPS, THE
GOVERNMENT ARE PREPARED TO CONSIDER ACCEPTING, IN ADDITION TO THE
FAMILY REUNION CASES, FURTHER LIMITED NUMBERS OF VIETNAMESE
REFUGEES FROM HONG KONG. A DECISION ON THIS WILL BE TAKEN IN THE
LIGHT OF THE WILLINGNESS SHOWN BY OTHER RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES TO
RESPOND TO HONG KONG'S NEEDS AND OF ALL THE CIRCUMSTANCES AT THE
TIME' THIS IS NOT AS FIRM (OR CONTINUING) A COMMITMENT AS WE
SHOULD HAVE LIKED HOWEVER IT REPRESENTS AN ADVANCE ON THE HOME
OFFICE'S PREVIOUS POSITION WHICH WAS ONLY TO ACCEPT THE FAMILY
REUNION CASES AND, GIVEN THE LENGTH OF TIME IT HAS TAKEN TO
NEGOTIATE EVEN THIS IMPROVBEMENT, WE THINK AT OFFICIAL LEVEL THAT
1
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