TNAG-0587-FCO40-720-Aid-from-UK-for-Vietnamese-refugees-in-Hong-Kong-1976 — Page 64

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TO PRIORITY TOKYO TELNO 538 OF 20 OCT 76 INFO WASHINGTON, UKMIS GENEVA, OTTAWA.

YOUR TELNO 924 -NUF

VIETNAMESE REFUGEES,

LAST

R

NEXT

REF.

:

1. WE HAVE ADMITTED ABOUT 250 REFUGEES FROM INDO-CHINA, THE GREAT MAJORITY OF WHOM ARE VIETNAMESE. THIS FIGURE HAS NOT

BEEN PUBLICLY REVEALED, BUT WE WOULD HAVE NO OBJECTION TO YOUR

PASSING IT IN CONFIDENCE TO THE JAPANESE.

2. MOST OF THESE WERE IN THE UK (AS EMBASSY EMPLOYEES, STUDENTS ETC) AT THE TIME OF THE COMMUNIST VICTORIES IN INDO-CHINA. THE FIGURE INCLUDES ALSO 99 VIETNAMESE CHILDREN AIR-LIFTED TO

THE UK IMMEDIATELY BEFORE THE FALL OF SAIGON.

3. OUR EXISTING COMMITMENTS TO ACCEPT IMMIGRANTS FROM CAST

AFRICA, LATIN AMERICA AND CYPRUS MAKE IT ESSENTIAL FOR US TO IMPOSE STRICT CONTROLS ON THE NUMBERS OF REFUGEES FROM INDO- CHINA WHOM WE ARE PREPARED TO ADMIT. OUR PRESENT POLICY (ANNOUNCED BY THE HOME SECRETARY ON 8 MAY 1975) IS TO ADMIT REFUGESS FROM INDO-CHINA WHO HAVE SOME PREVIOUS CONNECTIONS WITH THE UK,

SUBJECT TO PERSONAL ACCEPTABILITY.

4. YOU MAY SPEAK TO JAPANESE ON LINES OF PARAS 1-3 ABOVE. YOU SHOULD STRESS THAT THE UNDERTAKING WE HAVE GIVEN THEM IN RESPECT OF THE QUOTE MATHER UNQUOTE REFUGEES REPRESENTS A SIGNIFICANT DIVERGENCE FROM OUR NORMAL POLICY. WE WOULD THERE- FORE GREATLY APPRECIATE A JAPANESE DECISION TO ALLOW AN EXTENSION or 'STAY FOR THOSE REFUGEES WHO ARE LIKELY TO BE ACCEPTED BY

THE AMERICANS.

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5. FURTHER BACKGROUND