1 FE# 1805
THE BRITISH REFUGEE COUNCIL
Vice Chairmen:
Chairman: SIR ARTHUR PETERSON, KCB, MVO.
SIR LESLIE KIRKLEY, CBE
KENNETH LEE
Director: MARTIN BARBER, Ph. D.
Honorary Treasurers: A. H. CHAPMAN, FCA H. A. SHAW, OBE
BONDWAY HOUSE,
3/9, BONDWAY, LONDON, SW8 1SJ.
Telephone: 01-582 6922
Cables: BREFCON, LONDON, SW8.
January 31st 1986
Mr. Benjamin Tang,
Hong Kong Government Office,
6 Grafton Street,
London W1X 3LB
Your Ref VR/UK/PA
MKK 243/1
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY 03 FEB 1986
DESK OFFICE4
INDEX
PA
Action Taken
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Dear Benjamin,
Many thanks for your letter commenting on some of the issues raised in my letter to Mr. Roy McDowall.
Thank you for the agreement indicated on the procedures which I proposed in that letter.
As you will remember, there was agreement at the meeting that the agencies should submit 60 names at the beginning of each month in the hope that this would lead to 40 to 50 people arriving in Britain some 4 to 6 weeks later after processing and allowing for the cases which were eliminated. I am glad that this is also acceptable to Hong Kong Government.
the
With regard to the proposal that there should be a second stage in the process so that after identifying and clearing the people named on the lists they could be looked after in Hong Kong until called forward by Margaret Kemp. I am grateful for your agreement to this,
to undicating
depatins will since I believe that such a precedure would facilitate the smooth araile bilet Joue running of the scheme. You may remember, however, that during the
in Uk. No
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course of the meeting at Lunar House the Home Office expressed their doubts about the feasibility of the proposal and we agreed, therefore, to drop the suggestion. My understanding is that the process will continue as it has in the past.
I am grateful for your confirmation with regard to the addresses
of some refugees in open centres. It had indeed been our understanding that the fact that such a person gave an address outside the open centre did not imply that he was not a bona fide refugee living in a refugee camp in the meaning of the SCORRI document. I am glad to have had that understanding confirmed by you.
I have noted what you have said in reply to my concern that refugees may be coerced nto accepting a resettlement offer in the UK by the knowledge thạt refusal may leave them liable to a term in detention. I totally accept your reassurance that this has happened to no UK resettlement case. I note also what you say about the fact that neither the USA, Canada nor Australia will accept for resettlement a refugee
Registered under the Charities Act 1960 No. 283993
The British Refugee Council incorporates the British Council for Aid to Refugees and the Standing Conference on Refugees
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