CONFIDENTIAL
refugees who had been rescued at sea by FRG-regis.ered
ships, and those with close relatives in Germany. However
FRG accepts refugees direct from Vietnam under the Orderly
Departure Programme (1,148 in 1985). Altogether it has
resettled
some 25,000 Indo-Chinese refugees since 1975 (compared with the UK's 19,000).
FRG.
Delay in
only four have
12 are awaiting
6. In 1985 the Germans agreed to accept 32 refugees from Hong Kong as part of a one-off intake of 300 Indo-Chinese refugees with remoter family links with
considering these cases has meant that
received permission to resettle in FRG; documentation or supplementary information: have either been resettled elsewhere or have become
ineligible (eg by marrying).
and the others
7. In response to the Embassy's approach in October 1985, the Auswaertiges Amt initially said that they would press for the admission of all Vietnamese in Hong Kong with relatives in Germany (the Hong Kong Government believe there
are now about
about 90 of these). However the Auswaertiges Amt
said later that the German Government are unable to admit any Indo-Chinese refugees from Hong Kong other than those in We understand that the categories agreed with the Länder. the Germans' problems
South Asian other
refugees (not
(not to
to mention East Germans and East Europeans)
lead them to accord a low priority to Vietnamese refugees.
We see little hope of the Germans
without strong political pressure.
Tamils over
and
changing their
minds
8.
Mr
Eggar
raised
the
in subject
November
with Dr
Meyer-Landrut, State Secretary at the Auswaertiges Amt,
Amt, who
said that the Länder were particularly cautious
Eastern refugees.
of this, and the controversy
Because
about
Far
about the numbers of foreigners seeking asylum in the FRG (15,000 in 1985), the Federal Government could only push the acceptance of those with "first grade" (ie very a hard
Länder for
close)
family connections.
fight.
Even
this would
involve
CONFIDENTIAT