TNAG-0497-FCO40-562-Deportation-of-foreign-nationals-from-Hong-Kong-1974 — Page 21

Mr Male

PS/Mr Ennals

POLICY ON POLITICAL ASYLUM. LETTER FROM PUTNEY LABOUR PARTY

306

1.

The Secretary/Agent of the Putney Labour Party wrote to the Secretary of State on 19 August, quoting a Resolution which had recently been passed by his General Management Committee. The Secretary of State's Private Secretary sent an acknowledgement on 21 August, and has asked for a draft reply for Mr Ennals.

2.

The Resolution calls for a new policy on the granting of political asylum. It also makes particular reference to the group of South Vietnamese illegal immigrants returned from hong Kong to Saigon on 17 June, and to alleged UK action to abort n EFC initiative on political asylum for Chileans sentenced to tenth or life imprisonment.

3. The general question of political asylum is, a matter for the Home Office, who have a copy of the letter and who have told Migration and Visa Department that they will write direct to r McGarry. I submit a draft reply on the FCO points prepared in cooperation with Latin America Department and Migration and Visa Department.

5 September 1974

cc: Latin America Dept cc: Migration & Visa Dept

ACSL

A C Stuart

Hong Kong & Indian Ocean Department

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