TNAG-0587-FCO40-720-Aid-from-UK-for-Vietnamese-refugees-in-Hong-Kong-1976 — Page 229

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IMMEDIATE

CYPHER/CAT A AND BY BAG

FM F C O 281225Z

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TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG TELNO 584 OF 28 JULY AND TO PRIORITY WASHINGTON UKMIS GENEVA KUALA LUMPUR AND TO ROUTINE RAL.GOON TOKYO

PEKING AND SAVING TO HANOI.

YOUR TELNO 748 VIETNAMESE REFUGEES.

1. WE HAVE HAD IN MIND THE POINT RAISED IN PARAGRAPH 5 OF YOUR TELEGRAM UNDER REFERENCE AND THE HOME OFFICE HAVE DESH KEPT INFORMED

OF DEVELOPMENTS. THEY ARE PREPARED TO APPROACH THEIR MINISTERS, WITH A VIEW TO SYMPATHETIC CONSIDERATION TEING GIVEN TO ANY REQUESTS FROM REFUGEES FROM THE QUOTE AVA UNQUOTE FOR PERMANENT SETTLEMENT IN THE UK. AT OFFICIAL LEVEL THE HOME OFFICE CONSIDER THAT THERE MAY BE A CASE FOR DOING THIS ON HUMANITARIAN GROUNDS AND BECAUSE WE DID NOT, IN THE EVENT, TAKE AS MANY REFUGEES FROM THE QUOTE 'CLARA MAERSK UNQUOTE LAST YEAR AS WE HAD OFFERED TO DO (SOMETHING LESS THAN 50 REFUGEES OUT OF 150-ODD WHO WERE OFFERED HOMES ARRIVED IN THIS COUNTRY). THE HOME OFFICE INTEND FIRST TO CONSULT THE VOLUNTARY AGENCIES HERE TO FIND OUT WHAT ARRANGEMENTS THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO MAKE TO RECEIVE REFUGEES FROM THE QUOTE AVA UNQUOTE. UNTIL THIS IS KNOWN AND THERE IS SOME IDEA OF THE NUMBER OF THE REFUGEES WHO WILL NOT BE GOING TO THE UNITED STATES AND ELSEWHERE, THE HOME OFFICE WILL NOT BE IN A POSITION TO ADVISE MINISTERS TO TAKE A FIRM DECISION.

12.

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