TNAG-0556-FCO40-651-Resettlement-of-Vietnamese-refugees-from-Hong-Kong-into-othe-1975 — Page 59

GPS 319

PRIORITY

CYPHER/CAT A

CONFIDENTIAL

68

TOP COPY

FM OTTAWA 132103Z

RECEIVED REGISTAM N

1 4 MAY 1975

NXK 18/25

29)

CONFIDENTIAL

TO PRIORITY FCO TELNO 272 OF 13 MAY INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG ROUTINE WASHINGTON AND SINGAPORE (SAIGON UNIT) SAVING STOCKHOLM, COPENHAGEN, WELLINGTON, CANBERRA, PEKING AND MANILA.

YOUR TELNO 173: VIETNAMESE REFUGEES IN HONG KONG.

LAST

RFF

REF.

62 (172

NEA

1. ACTION TAKEN WITH MANPOWER AND IMMIGRATION AND SERVICE.

2. THE CANADIANS MAY BE ABLE TO INCREASE THE ALLOCATION OF 200 PLACES FOR REFUGEES IN HONG KONG BY UP TO 150. THIS WILL DEPEND ON THE NUMBER OF APPLICATIONS FROM REFUGEES IN SINGAPORE AND JAPAN, WHO MAY NOT FILL THE QUOTAS RESERVED FOR THEM (PARA 4 OF MY TELNO 253). IN ADDITION, THE CANADIANS WILL ACCEPT VIETNAMESE NOW IN HONG KONG OR ELSEWHERE WHO CAN PROVE THAT THEY HAVE RELATIVES IN CANADA. ABOUT 500 VIETNAMESE HAVE ALREADY ARRIVED IN CANADA UNDER THIS PROVISION, AND THE NUMBER IS EXPECTED TO RISE TO 1,800, THIS IS CONSIDERABLY MORE THAN THE CABINET EXPECTED WHEN THEY APPROVED ADMITTING 3,000 NON-RELATIVES,

3. A SUBMISSION DEALING WITH AN INCREASE IN THE CEILING OF 3,000 NON-RELATIVES WILL SHORTLY BE MADE TO THE CABINET, QUEBEC, WHERE MOST OF THE REFUGEES WILL BE GOING, IS ANXIOUS TO ACCEPT MORE FRANCOPHONE IMMIGRANTS. AGAINST THIS, EMPLOYMENT GENERALLY IS HIGH, OFFICIALS WITH WHOM WE HAVE SPOKEN CONSIDER THAT IF THE CABINET APPROVE AN INCREASE IT WILL BE LIMITED TO 2,000 OR LESS, BUT THAT THEIR PROVENANCE WILL BE LEFT FOR ADMINISTRATIVE DECISION. IF SO, MORE COULD BE ACCEPTED FROM HONG KONG, POSSIBLY STARTING IN ABOUT 2 WEEKS TIME. WE WILL KEEP IN TOUCH WITH DEVELOPMENTS HERE AND

REPORT FURTHER.

CONFIDENTIAL

14.