HUD 243/12
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FEB 1988
14
127522
MDHOAN 9548
RESTRICTED
FM FCO
TO DESKBY 260100Z HONG KONG
TELNO 523
OF 251545Z FEBRUARY 88
AND TO DESKBY 26010OZ SEOUL
INFO ROUTINE HANOI
TOP COPY
Q DIST ?
SEOUL FOR PS/ORD GLENARTHUR
YOUR TELNO 801: VIETNAMESE REFUGEES
1. LORD GLENARTHUR'S LETTER TO SIR P BLAKER ADDRESSED ITSELF TO THE SPECIFIC SUGGESTION THAT THE UK MIGHT INCREASE THE RATE OF INTAKE OF REFUGEES FROM HONG KONG. THE LETTER (TEXT IS BEING SENT BY FACSIMILE) STATES THAT QUOTE A MONTHLY INTAKE OF 20 VIETNAMESE REFUGEES FROM HONG KONG IS ABOUT AS MUCH AS THE LOCAL AUTHORITIES AND VOLUNTARY AGENCIES CAN EFFECTIVELY MANAGE UNDER PRESENT CIRCUMSTANCES UNQUOTE AND QUOTES ODP ARRIVALS AND OTHER IMMIGRATION PRESSURES AS EXAMPLES OF THE BURDEN ON OUR RECEPTION FACILITIES.
2. (A)
THE POINTS WHICH NEED TO BE CLEARLY UNDERSTOOD ARE THAT: ARRIVALS UNDER THE ODP ARE QUITE DISTINCT FROM THE INTAKE OF VIETNAMESE REFUGEES FROM HONG KONG. THE ODP ARRIVALS COME ON THE BASIS OF STANDARD UK IMMIGRATION CRITERIA, WHEREAS THE 468 REFUGEES FROM HONG KONG ARE TAKEN IN ON THE BASIS OF SPECIAL EXTENDED CRITERIA. THE 468 REPRESENT A SPECIAL COMMITMENT FROM HMG OVER AND ABOVE THE NORMAL IMMIGRATION RULES.
(B) THE RATE OF ARRIVALS UNDER ODP IS DETERMINED NOT BY HMG, BUT
BY THE VIETNAMESE AUTHORITIES. THERE IS THEREFORE NO QUESTION OF HMG GIVING PRIORITY/PREFERENCE TO ODP OVER REFUGEES FROM HONG KONG.
3. YOU MAY WISH TO DRAW ADDITIONALLY ON THE FOLLOWING POINTS IN RESPONSE TO PRESS QUERIES:
(A) UNDER UK IMMIGRATION RULES INDIVIDUALS WHO MEET UK'S STANDARD FAMILY REUNION CRITERIA (I.E. SPOUSES OR DEPENDENT CHILDREN UNDER 18 OF SOMEONE WHO IS SETTLED IN THE UK) ARE ENTITLED TO JOIN THEIR RELATIVES IN THE UK. THIS APPLIES REGARDLESS OF THE COUNTRY OF ORIGIN OF THE SPOUSE/DEPENDENT CHILDREN.
(B) IN THE CASE OF VIETNAM, SPECIAL ADMINISTRATIVE ARRANGEMENTS HAVE BEEN PUT INTO EFFECT WITH THE VIETNAMESE AUTHORITIES AND UNHCR'S INVOLVEMENT TO PERMIT PEOPLE ELIGIBLE TO ENTER THE UK UNDER (A) TO LEAVE VIETNAM. THIS IS THE ODP
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