GRS 500
IMMEDIATE
CYPHER CAT/A
CONFIDENTIAL
(3
FM HONG KONG Ø50615Z
CONFIDENTIAL
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY No. 50
- 7 APR 1975
TO IMMEDIATE F C O TELEGRAM NUMBER 324 OF 5 APRIL INFO
IMMEDIATE SAIGON, PRIORITY WASHINGTON AND OTTAWA.
FOLLOWING FROM DONALD.
£52.
ብርሃ
REF.
YOUR TELEGRAM NO 248 (NOT TO OTTAWA OR WASHINGTON) :
VIETNAMESE REFUGEES.
WE HAVE INDEED CONSIDERED THE POSSIBILITY THAT REFUGEES
FROM VIETNAM MIGHT MAKE THEIR WAY HERE. WE AGREE THAT IT WOULD
BE DIFFICULT ON HUMANITARIAN GROUNDS TO REFUSE ADMISSION, BUT
WE ARE CONCERNED TO DISCOURAGE ANY MASSIVE FLOW OF REFUGEES
TO HONG KONG AND TO AVOID CREATING TOO OBVIOUS A CONTRADICTION WITH OUR POLICY TOWARDS ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS BOTH FROM CHINA AND ELSEWHERE. FROM A PUBLIC RELATIONS POINT OF VIEW, IT MAY BE EASIER TO GET PUBLIC SUPPORT LATER (IF NECESSARY) FOR RESTRICTIVE MEASURES, IF HONG KONG HAD BEEN SEEN TO BE DOING ITS BIT TO HELP
THE GENUINE REFUGEES IN THE INITIAL STAGES.
2. WE HAVE SET UP A SMALL UNIT HEADED BY A SENIOR IMMIGRATION
OFFICER TO DEAL FULL TIME WITH PROBLEMS RELATING TO SOUTH VIETNAM AND THE KHMER REPUBLIC. A SUITABLE TRANSIT CAMP IS BEING PREPARED, 1.E. WITHOUT ANY PENAL FLAVOUR, AND WE HAVE TAKEN STEPS
TO MAKE MEDICAL FACILITIES AVAILABLE IN THE CASE OF SICK AND
WOUNDED. THE CIVIL AID SERVICES ARE LIKEWISE ON THE ALERT. THE
VOLUNTARY AGENCIES WILL BE BROUGHT IN AS REQUIRED. WE THINK IT IMPORTANT, HOWEVER, THAT THESE PLANS SHOULD BE KEPT COMPLETELY CONFIDENTIAL UNTIL SUCH TIME AS THEY MIGHT HAVE TO BE PUT INTO
EFFECT.
3. THE U.S. CONSULATE-GENERAL HAVE SOUNDED US OUT INFORMALLY
ABOUT ALLOWING FLIGHTS OF REFUGEES TO LAND IN HONG KONG FOR
SCREENING BY THEIR IMMIGRATION PEOPLE IN THE HOPE THAT SOME
CONFIDENTIAL
/ MIGHT
PA
914
1
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