TNAG-0559-FCO40-654-Resettlement-of-Vietnamese-refugees-from-Hong-Kong-into-othe-1975 — Page 50

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Mr Janyrin

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VIETNAMESE REFUGEES IN HONG KONG

1. Mr Male referred to FCO telegram No. 779 to Hong Kong at Sir Duncan Watson's meeting this afternoon.

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He said that while he was of course glad that the Home Office have now agreed to the admission in principle of the 150 odd refugees in Hong Kong he wondered what was meant by the reference in paragraph two of our telegram to the understanding "that Government funds will not be committed to pay for it". Mr Male said he was not sure what "it" referred to. He assumed that what the Home Office meant was that HMG's funds should not be drawn on for the purpose of transporting Vietnamese refugees to the UK. There were, however, other financial aspects to the possible resettlement of the Vietnamese refugees in this country which would need to be looked into. Did the Home Office's condition mean, for example, that public funds would not be available for the provision of any necessary transit camp facilities, temporary financial help while they were looking for jobs, and, if necessary, unemployment benefit. Mr Male thought it would not be long before these questions began to arise. Hong Kong might bring them up by way of a reply to FCO telegram No. 779. The Vietnamese refugees themselves could be expected to enquire who was going to pay for them to get to the UK and what financial and other help they would receive on arrival here.

2.

There was some discussion on possible sources of finance for the purposes which Mr Male mentioned. He himself wondered whether the UNHCR might be involved in paying passages and/or resettlement costs here. It was noted that in the case of the Ugandan Asians special provision had been made by the ODM in the form, I think, of subsidies to local authority budgets. The former Minister for Overseas Development, Mrs Judith Hart, had made some particular exceptional arrangement to assist Chilean refugees.

3. I said that sofar we had interpreted the Home Office's point as meaning that Government funds would not be used for transporting the refugees to this country but had not addressed our minds to the other financial aspects to which Mr Male had drawn attention. I said also that I understood voluntary organisations, the details of which I did not know, had been interested in bringing South Vietnamese refugees to this country and might therefore be ready to help with the cost of their resettlement.

4. At Mr Male's suggestion it was agreed that the Department should begin to look into the points which he has raised. We should not, however, consult the Home Office at this stage. I should be grateful if, together with Mr_Wotton, you could initiate action on the lines indicated. I suggest that you

/consult