TNAG-0556-FCO40-651-Resettlement-of-Vietnamese-refugees-from-Hong-Kong-into-othe-1975 — Page 173

GRS 300

CONFIDENTIAL

B

IMMEDIATE

CYPHER CAT/A

FM HONG KONG 070641Z

CONFIDENTIAL

DESKBY 071020Z

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY, No. 50

- 7 APR 1975

REF

MICK 18/25

i

PA

ale

TO IMMEDIATE F C O TELEGRAM NUMBER 330 CF 7 APRIL INFO IMMEDIATE

SAIGON.

FOLLOWING FROM DONALD.

HONG KONG TELEGRAM NO 324 OF 5 APRIL: VIETNAMESE REFUGEES. FURTHER TO TELEGRAM UNDER REFERENCE, YOU MAY WISH TO KNOW THE GUIDANCE WHICH HAS BEEN GIVEN TO THE GOVERNMENT INFORMATION SERVICES DEALING WITH POSSIBLE PRESS ENQUIRIES IF ANY FLOW OF REFUGEES TO HONG KONG WERE TO DEVELOP. OUR LINE WOULD BE AS FOLLOWS:

AS ALWAYS, EACH CASE IS CONSIDERED INDIVIDUALLY ON ITS MERITS:

(B) ALL ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS ARE THEREFORE HELD IN CUSTODY WHILE

THEIR CASES ARE BEING INVESTIGATED:

(C) GENUINE WAR REFUGEES AND POLITICAL REFUGEES WILL NOT BE

RETURNED TO VIETNAM OR CAMBODIA:

(D) HONG KONG CANNOT ABSORB SUBSTANTIAL NUMBERS OF REFUGEES WHO

HAVE NO CONNECTION WITH THE COLONY:

(E) THESE REFUGEES WILL THEREFORE BE KEPT IN TRANSIT ACCOMMODATION

UNTIL ARRANGEMENTS CAN BE MADE FOR THEM TO BE SENT ON TO SOME COUNTRY WHICH IS WILLING TO RECEIVE THEM:

(F) THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT IN CONSULTATION WITH APPROPRIATE

GOVERNMENT AUTHORITIES AND WELFARE ORGANISATIONS WILL DO ITS BEST TO FIND PERMANENT HOMES IN OTHER COUNTRIES FOR THESE REFUGEES:

(G) THIS DOES NOT MEAN THAT IF, IN THE FUTURE, THE SITUATION IN THESE COUNTRIES CHANGES, ILLEGAL ENTRANTS FROM THEM MAY NOT BE RETURNED TO THEM.

CONFIDENTIAL

·/2.