TNAG-0556-FCO40-651-Resettlement-of-Vietnamese-refugees-from-Hong-Kong-into-othe-1975 — Page 162

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RECORD OF A MEETING BETWEEN LORD GORONWY-ROBERTS AND THE GOVERNOR OF HONG KONG HELD AT THE FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE ON

WEDNESDAY 9 APRIL AT 10.00 A.M. Kabl

Present

Lord Goronwy-Roberts

Mr D Ennals

Sir D Watson

Mr P JE Male

Mr P L O'Keeffe Mr W Bentley

Mr A O Galsworthy Mr B H Dinwiddy

RECEIVED REGISTA No.52

28 APR 1975

HKK 18/25.

Sir Murray MacLehose

VII IMMIGRATION 17.

Lord Goronwy-Roberts said that the arrangements for refusing entry to Chinese illegal immigrants had generally been working' quite well. The longer that adverse publicity could be avoided, the easier it would be for Ministers to counter criticism which might arise in connection with particularly difficult cases.

10 FEN 181 18.

1

Sir Murray MacLehose said it was encouraging that the number of legal immigrants had also dropped. Ideally, he would like to see the rate of legal immigration fall to not more then 50 a day.

19.

Lord Goronwy-Roberts said that HMG could broadly accept the policy which Hong Kong was proposing towards Vietnamese and Khmer war refugees. It would be necessary to emphasise that the circum- stances were exceptional, that they would only be allowed to stay in Hong Kong temporarily while alternative homes in third countries could be found for them; and that there was a clear distinction between these fugitives from war and illegal immigrants from China (and elsewhere) neeking a better life in the Colony.

wong Kong & Indian Ocean Department

1. 1975

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