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Foreign and Commonwealth Office
London SW1A 2AH
Telephone 01-
Your reference
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el
196
A SCORRI
SCORKY
Heads of Chancery
BANGKOK, KUALA LUMPUR, SINGAPORE, JAKARTA, MANILA
Our reference
Date 23 April 1986
1
Had I Cherry
VIETNAMESE FAMILY REUNION CASES
1. You will be aware that in the Government's reply to the SCORRI report on Vietnamese refugees, we accepted a recommendation that family reunion criteria be relaxed in respect of a number of Vietnamese refugees currently in camps in Hong Kong and elsewhere in the South East Asian region, provided that those concerned wish to come here and their relatives are prepared to sponsor them. The initial estimate was that this would affect some 420 refugees in Hong Kong and a small number (about 60) in camps in other countries.
2.
Clearly the focus of our attention must be on relieving Hong Kong of its severe problem. Hong Kong has the heaviest burden of un-resettled Vietnamese refugees in the region. However, we should not lose sight of the non-Hong Kong cases. This letter is to remind you of this. You may find it useful in your contacts with local government representatives concerned with refugee matters, and with UNHCR representatives, to bear this in mind. We do not suggest that you, at this stage, advertise the HMG commitment to accept some Vietnamese refugees from camps in other countries, not least because we are not, at this stage, certain of how far we can go. However, if you are approached on behalf of Vietnamese in camps in your countries who appear to have a legitimate claim for resettlement in the UK, you should be aware that this relaxation of criteria may affect the Home Office's decision whether to accept such an application.
3.
There is in fact a discrepancy concerning the numbers of Vietnamese currently in SE Asian recent relaxation of criteria.
the figure given was 'about 60".
нин гиззрачка 24
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY
INL
2 8 APR 1986
.'A
REGISTRY
Acrina Taken
camps who will be affected by the In the Government's White Paper
But at a recent meeting between
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/officials