return to Indo-China would not be required to do so. Accordingly 229 people, including former employees of the Vietnamese and Cambodian Embassies here, have been granted refugee status.
Contribution Outside agreed Policy
8. HMG's efforts in this area were primarily directed towards Hong Kong, for whom the United Kingdom government has special responsibilities. In addition, the arrival of large numbers of refugees in the colony was causing serious difficulties for the Hong Kong authorities, which already faces a serious immigration problem of its own. Hong Kong has a commitment to accept annually some 30,000 legal immigrants from e-China, and it could not reasonably be expected to bear the whole burden of Indo-Chinese refugees. The limit was rcached when 4,000 refugees had to be evacuated to Hong Kong from a sinking ship. As a result of an approach from the Hong Kong government working with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, six Western European countries, Canada and America agreed to take a proportion of the 4,000. It was felt, however, that the case for persuading other countries to share the burden would be strengthened if the United Kingdom could be seen to be playing a full part. It was eventually agreed in September 1975 that the 151 refugees who had expressed a wish to come to this country should be admitted outside the publicly stated criterion, subject to personal acceptability. It was emphasised that this was a final contribution and that the United Kingdom would not accept responsibility for any residue left in Hong Kong at the conclusion of the resettlement effort. In the event, only 35 came to the United Kingdom; the majority of over 2,500 went to America and others found refuge elsewhere. Some, however, remained in Hong Kong. Since then Hong Kong has had to absorb 4,000 to 5,000 Vietnamese who have made their way there illegally.
Possible Solutions to Present Problems
9. Present agreed policy would not cover the two categories under consider- ation, since neither category is likely to have connections with this country. Hence a solution outside the criterion must be found.
10.
A solution to the first category (ie those drifting in small boats) appears relatively straightforward. Since only 35 of the 151 refugees arrived here, we could examine with the refugee organisations concerned whether provisions still exist to accept the remainder of this quota and if so, transfer the quota to accommodate say 100 cases, in response to the UNHCR's appeal.
11. A solution for the second category is more difficult. Most of the available resources for this sort of problem are being diverted to cope with refugees from Chile. We have so far agreed to accept some 2,300 people, although only two thirds have actually arrived here. Even so, HMG has had to make a financial grant available to refugee organisations, but the Treasury has indicated that there is no question of making a similar grant for Vietnamese refugees. Any extra money needed would probably have to be given on the basis of an equal compensating reduction at some other point on our Vote.
12. If we are to take any refugees at all, we should perhaps be more concerned with taking them from Hong Kong, for whom we have special responsibilities, rather than Thailand for whom we have none, to ease the enormous burden on such a relatively small colony.
2.
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