Page
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(d) The Governor said that before a repatriation
programme could be introduced, it would be
(e)
necessary to persuade the Government of Vietnam to take the refugees back. It would also be necessary to ensure that they were treated in a manner considered reasonable by the international community. HK would also need to introduce a mechanism for screening out genuine refugees. To put these arrangements in place would require continuing pressure on the Vietnamese Government, including probably some form of economic sweetener. This would be difficult at present because of Vietnam's continuing presence in Cambodia. But he thought that the concept of repatriation, with appropriate safeguards, was now one that was politically more acceptable in the UK;
The Home Secretary said that he accepted the general thrust of the Governor's message. It was time to start trying to roll the stone uphill again. It would be difficult to persuade the Prime Minister, but he thought that she would be amenable to reason. But it would be helpful to be able to show some progress on controlling the outflow from Vietnam. In the meantime he understood that the shortfall in the existing quota of 468 was being filled up. The Governor said that this was helpful but there would be a considerable problem if this was the end of the UK intake. One additional category might be those who had previously been offered resettlement in the UK but had refused and could not now be resettled elsewhere. The Home Secretary agreed that this would be worth looking at.
CC: CS
S for S PA
Mr. Hum, HKD, FCO
(R.J.F. Hoare )
PS/GH 25.3.88
}