go
Enter of 195
RIORITY
GR 499
CYPHER CAT A
FM TOKYO 220625Z DEC
RESTRICTED
RESTRICTED
RECEIVED AT
23.51
22 DEC 1976
Hill 240/Jul//
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194
NCAF
REF.
TO PRIORITY FCO TEL NO 1147 OF 22/12/76 REPEATED FOR INFORMATION ROUTINE OTTAWA CANBERRA, UKMIS GENEVA
YOUR TEL 657: VIETNAMESE REFUGEES
1. THE AUSTRALIAN EMBASSY IMMIGRATION REPRESENTATIVE TELEGRAPHED HIS DEPARTMENT IN CANBERRA ON 13 DECEMBER. CATLING HAS NOT YET RECEIVED A REPLY, BUT HE SENT A REMINDER ON 21 DECEMBER AT OUR REQUEST.
2.
THE JAPANESE HAVE GGANTED A FURTHER EXTENSION OF STAY FOR THE WHOLE GROUP UNTIL 23 JANUARY BUT THEY HAVE SAID THAT IF NO REPLY
HAS BEEN RECEIVED FROM THE AUSTRALIANS BY THE NEW YEAR, WE SHOULD SET IN MOTION THE NECESSARY PROCEDURES TO TAKE THE 22 WHO ARE NOT
GOING TO CANADA OURSELVES.
3. THE ASSISTANT TO THE UNHCR REPRESENTATIVE HAS TOLD US IN
CONFIDENCE. THAT ONE OF THE REASONS WHY THE REFUGEES HAVE BEEN
CASTING AROUND FOR RESETTLEMENT IN COUNTRIES OTHER THAN THE UK IS THAT THEY GAVE A VERBAL UNDERTAKING TO THE CAPTAIN OF THE ''MATHER' WHEN THEY WERE PICKED UP THAT THEY WOULD NOT ASK TO GO TO THE UK, WE HAVE EXPLAINED THAT WHILE THE CAPTAIN'S INTEREST IN KEEPING HIMSELF OUT OF TROUBLE AND THE REFUGEES CONCERN TO PROTECT THE MAN TO WHOM THEY OWE THEIR LIVES IS PERFECTLY UNDERSTANDABLE, IN THE CIRCUMSTANCES IT IS IRRELEVANT, AND THE REFUGEES SHOULD BE
REASSURED THAT THEY NEED HAVE NO FEARS ON THIS SCORE.
4. THE CANADIAN EMBASSY IMMIGRATION REPRESENTATIVE HAS TOLD US THAT THE TWELVE MEMBERS OF THE GROUP WHICH THEY AGREED TO TAKE HAVE NOW BEEN CLEARED AND ARE EXPECTED TO LEAVE FOR CANADA ON OR ABOUT 18 JANUARY. LAVOIE CLAIMED TO BE HAVING DIFFICULTY IN GETTING UNHCR TO PAY THEIR FARES TO CANADA. WE HAVE TOLD HIM THAT IT IS OUR UNDERSTANDING THAT UNCHR WILL PAY. (ALEXANDER'S LETTER OF 28
SEPTEMBER TO UNHCR, AND JAEGER'S REPLY OF 30 SEPTEMBER).
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15.
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