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From: G W Hewitt
PS/Lord Caithness
см
South East Asian Dept
Date: 7 April 1992
cc: Sir J Coles
Mr Burns
Mr Ricketts, HKD
Mr Cornish, News Dept
VIETNAMESE MIGRANTS: RESETTLEMENT IN THE UK
1.
34
Dr Marhain
I promised an update. The present situation is as follows:
In UK:
1060
Accepted (visa issued):
188
Accepted (visa pending):
351
Being processed:
401
2000
2. There has been considerable progress recently.
The Home Office have improved their procedures; Hong Kong are now issuing visas at the acceptance stage rather than just before travel; and the UK reception centres are now calling forward more people than they have places for to allow for drop-outs. As things stand at the moment, the Home Office are confident that at 30 June all 2000 will either
be in the UK already or have their visas and be ready to travel as soon as there is room in the reception centres.
3.
In view of the improved situation, I do not think there is a need to consider relieving Hong Kong's burden, in the face of possible political criticism there, by transferring UK bound refugees to the transit centre at Bataan in the Philippines.
In any case, UNHCR have now confirmed that the UK quota of pre-cut-off date refugees was reduced in 1990 from 2000 to 1709. We have agreed
nevertheless, in principle, to take our full 2000 adding refugees
FR2AAK
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