TNAG-0556-FCO40-651-Resettlement-of-Vietnamese-refugees-from-Hong-Kong-into-othe-1975 — Page 28

E.R.

...for/

Confidential

6.

an indication of the numbers of refugees the United Kingdom

would be able to accept for durable settlement.

The Home Secretary has indicated to Parliament that he is

prepared to admit a number of refugees from Vietnam who have

some previous connection or tie with the United Kingdom. This

would reply would apply equally to refugees from Cambodia. We have also

already admitted some 99 Vietnamese orphans of whom some 80

are still in the United Kingdom and an undertaking has been

given that no former Vietnamese diplomat or other Vietnamese

national who would be in fear of persecution in Vietnam will

be required to leave the country; the indications are that

this will account for a further 200 persons.

It is H Government's view that, in the uncertain circumstand

which prevail at present whereby there is no clear indication

of the numbers of refugees who may have ties with this

country or, in the absence of such ties, would opt to come

Pine

here for resettlement, it would be inappropriate to suspect

but IMG a quota whom it would be proper to accept and that it would

be in accordance with our tradition of offering refuge to

those in need to say that we will give sympathetic consider-

with the OL ation to these applicants who have a tie, whether by

virtue of a relative already in the country or through -

spent here previously; providing that they are individually

personally acceptable to and they have responsible spenser

ship."

Л

و تره

Confidential