P01717.
ME
SECRETARY
Mr Galswork
QUEEN ANNE'S GATE LONDON SWIH 9AT
нко)
MK1) 15th
15 July 1985
Der Golfrey,
BS/M
ASIM lice
Dr Wilson
SEAD
Mr Baringle MVD
VIETNAMESE REFUGEES IN HONG KONG: SCORRI REPORT AND
(178)
FUTURE POLICY
Ecketts 16/7
257
Thank you for your minute of 20 May enclosing a detailed paper about the position of Vietnamese refugees in Hong Kong, as a basis on which we can reach conclusions on our response to the recommendations that SCORRI made in its report on refugees and asylum. You suggest that, in addition to the family reunion cases that SCORRI recommended we should take, we should accept a commit- ment to resettling a substantial number of Vietnamese from Hong Kong, of the order of 500 a year.
I am sorry that it has taken me some time to reply but, as you will appreciate, your proposals would present major domestic and presentational difficulties, particularly in the wake of the recent Tamil influx and our decision to move firmly to stem it, and the forthcoming changes in the Immigration Rules forced on us by Strasbourg. The changes in Rules we have agreed are likely to result in a significant increase in the admission of foreign husbands and fiances and despite the trouble-free run we have had so far we are going to have to continue to tread extremely carefully to avoid criticism by some of our own side on that`score.
.
Although we have these pressures to reckon with I have come to the con- clusion that it would be right to accept SCORRI's recommendation on the family reunion cases at present in Hong Kong (and in other camps in South East Asia). But I am afraid that I cannot accept a continuing additional commitment of the kind you propose. I do not believe that such a commitment would be acceptable to public opinion, given current concern about immigration and our declared firm policy to limit it. I do not see how in these circumstances we could justify going further than SCORRI's recommendation.
As you know, the Vietnamese already here have not settled well despite the considerable efforts made to assist resettlement; and it is difficult to escape. the conclusion that, through no fault of theirs, the United Kingdom is not in general a suitable country of resettlement for the Vietnamese. Nor can I over- look the costs associated with resettlement here. We estimate that 500 additional non-family reunion Vietnamese refugees would require provision of £0.4M, for which there is at present no PES provision and little prospect of securing it. Although I recognise that we have recently taken very few Vietnamese from Hong Kong, we do, of course, have continuing commitments to ship rescue and family reunion cases under the Orderly Departure Programme.
We also need to look at the problem against the background of the general situation in Hong Kong. The BDTCs there might well contrast a more generous approach to resettling in the United Kingdom Vietnamese refugees who have no ties here and no skills to contribute with the restrictive line we have had to take as regards their admission.
The Rt Hon Sir Geoffrey Howe, QC., MP.
/cont
LETTER FROM OR BRITTAN OF 15 JULY