CONFIDENTIAL
PRIORITY
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reconsider its decision not to increase its offtake during
1985/86. It was most important for HMG in the context of SCORRI
for there to be a positive US response. All the other potential
resettlement countries, small and large, whom
HMG had been lobbying, would look to the United States. The
absence of a US response specifically linked to the UK decision
to relax their criteria would be noticed. By contrast a US
offtake would encourage others.
3 Nash also drew on our Telno 1979 and gave Neighbour the
statistics on percentage off-take from Hong Kong and other first
asy um destinations in para 1. He also emphasised the
desirability of including long-stayers in any US off-take.
4.
Neighbour undertook to pass on Nash's request that the US
should reconsider its decision. He also asked the following
questions to which we are providing the US Embassy here with
answers (as given in brackets after each question):
(a)
(b)
How many Vietnamese refugees (VRS) have already arrived
in the UK in the post-SCORRI exercise? (20 have arrived
so far. A further 17 will arrive at the end of
December.)
Over how many years will our off-take be spread? (The
refugees will be admitted at a rate of about 40 a month
over the next year or so.)
a