TNAG-0556-FCO40-651-Resettlement-of-Vietnamese-refugees-from-Hong-Kong-into-othe-1975 — Page 141

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TO IMMEDIATE FCO TELNO 253 OF 2 MAY INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG (FOR POLITICAL ADVISER), INFO PRIORITY WASHINGTON, INFO ROUTINE BANGKOK, INFO SAVING COPENHAGEN AND MANILA.

HONG KONG TELNO 426 TO FCO: VIETNAMESE REFUGEES

1. MEMBER OF CHANCERY SPOKE TO GAVIN STEWART, CHIEF OF THE ASIA AND PACIFIC AREA, IN THE MANPOWER AND IMMIGRATION FOREIGN SERVICE.

2. THE CANADIAN REPRESENTATIVE IN HONG KONG IS BEING AUTHORISED TO

ACCEPT A TOTAL OF UP TO 200 REFUGEES. THIS FIGURE WILL INCLUDE SOME WHO MADE THEIR OWN WAY TO HONG KONG, AS WELL AS THOSE OF THE CLARA

MAERSK.

3. BEFORE RECEIVING LANDED IMMIGRANT STATUS, THE SOUTH VIETNAMESE WILL NEED TO CONVINCE CANADIAN OFFICIALS THAT THEY ARE GENUINE REFUGEES WHO WILL BE ABLE TO ESTABLISH THEMSELVES IN CANADA WITH MINIMAL ASSISTANCE FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. OTHER IMMIGRATION REQUIREMENTS WILL BE WAIVED. THE CANADIAN OFFICE IN HONG KONG HAS ITS OWN MEDICAL FACILITIES WHICH STEWART HOPED WOULD BE ABLE TO PROCESS THE REFUGEES QUICKLY. THEY WOULD THEN RECEIVE ASSISTED

PASSAGES TO CANADA.

4. THE CANADIAN. CABINET DECIDED YESTERDAY TO ACCEPT A TOTAL OF 3,000 VIETNAMESE REFUGEES, COMPRISING 2,000 OF THOSE EVACUATED BY THE AMERICANS AND UP TO 1,000 WHO APPLIED DIRECT TO CANADIAN POSTS

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