TNAG-0556-FCO40-651-Resettlement-of-Vietnamese-refugees-from-Hong-Kong-into-othe-1975 — Page 24

E.R.

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...of the British/

Confidential.

Council for Aid to Refugees. The adults are occupied with the care of those children still remaining the responsibility of

the Ockenden Venture. Of the 99 children, 3 have died, 13 have gone to final destinations in Western Europe under arrangements made by charit- able agencies in Belgium, France and Switzerland, and some 15 have been

placed with adoptive parents in the United Kingdom; there is thus a

hard core of some 70 who remain the charge of Ockenden but this number

will be diminished to some extent as pre-adoption formalities are

completed in individual cases. It is calculated that about 35 children

will remain in long-term care unless repatriation to Vietnam becomes

possible and is indicated as desirable.

5. The recognition of the new government in Saigon will mean that those

Vietnamese diplomats who previously represented their country here will

lose their diplomatic status and come within the consideration of the

Home Office. The indications are that, of a total of some 59 staff and

dependants, none will wish to return to Vietnam and very few have

expressed a wish to seek asylum elsewhere. The FCO have been asked to

assure those who enquire that they will not be obliged to leave this

country upon the expiry of their diplomatic status. It would therefore

seem that, when matters are fully resolved, we shall have granted settle-

ment to nearly all of these.

6. No accurate figures exist of the number of (South) Vietnamese who

are at present in this country but it is known that, as at 31 December

1974, there were 138 registered with the police. As with the diplomats,

they cannot be required to return to Vietnam if they would be at risk of

persecution there and we shall, therefore, be obliged to extend their

permits to stay as they apply. In both this category and that of the

diplomats, there is the clear possibility that once whatever funds the

individual might have are exhausted, he will become a charge upon the

Confidential...