TNAG-0556-FCO40-651-Resettlement-of-Vietnamese-refugees-from-Hong-Kong-into-othe-1975 — Page 43

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4. INSTRUCTIONS TO THIS EFFECT HAD BEEN SENT TO THE US CONSULATE- GENERAL, HONG KONG, AN OFFICIAL OF THE US IMMIGRATION AND NATURALISATION SERVICE WAS ALSO BEING SENT TO HONG KONG WITH FULL AUTHORITY TO ''PAROLE" (IE, CLEAR FOR ENTRY) VIETNAMESE IN THE TWO CATEGORIES ABOVE, HE WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE, WITH THE CONSULATE-GENERAL, FOR ARRANGING DIRECT ONWARD PASSAGE TO THE UNITED STATES FOR THOSE VIETNAMESE ACCEPTED FOR ENTRY,

5.

THE INTER-AGENCY TASK FORCE ALSO UNDERTOOK TO INSTRUCT US EMBASSIES IN THE COUNTRIES LISTED IN PARA 1(E) OF YOUR TUR TO MAKE REPRESENTATIONS IN SUPPORT OF OUR OWN. THEIR IMPRESSION WAS

THAT NEITHER THE SCANDINAVIANS NOR THE NEW ZEALANDERS WERE LIKELY

TO PROVE VERY FORTHCOMING.

6.

t

ANTIPPAS SAID THAT THE ADMINISTRATION WOULD BE UNABLE TO DECIDE

WHETHER TO ACCEPT THOSE REFUGEES WITH NO CONNECTIONS ANYWHERE (YOUR PARA 1(F)) UNTIL THEY HAD OBTAINED A FIRMER IDEA OF THE NUMBER

OF PEOPLE LIKELY TO ENTER THE US UNDER THE CATEGORIES IN PARA 3

ABOVE. HOWEVER, HE UNDERTOOK TO RAISE THIS QUESTION AT HIGHER

LEVELS, ALL SENIOR US OFFICIALS WITH ASIAN RESPONSIBILITIES ARE

PREOCCUPIED WITH THE ''MALAGUEZ'' CRISIS AT PRESENT, BUT WE SHALL

REINFORCE OUR REPRESENTATIONS ON THIS POINT DURING THE NEXT FEW DAYS,

RAMSBOTHAM,

[REPEATED AS REQUESTED]

FILE S HKIOD

N AM D

SEAD

SWED

MVD

WED

DEFENCE DEPT

'NEWS DEPT

UND

CONS EM UNIT

PS

PS/LORD GORONWY-ROBERTS PS/MR ENNALS PS/MISS LESTOR PS/MR HATTERSIEY FS/PUS

MR MALË

MR HAWLEY

MR EDMONDS

MR. THOMSON

COPIES TO:

MR BLANKS DS11 MOD MR FITZGERALD, HOME MR R MACDOWALL) OFFICE MR WATTS, COMMUNITY PROGRAMME OFFICE, HOME OFFICE

MR KIDD, HONG KONG GOVT. OFFICE

2

[COPIES SENT TO NO 10 DOWNING ST]

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