TNAG-0654-FCO40-803-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-1977 — Page 41

8.

It is not expected that the numbers to be permanently settled in

this country would be large. Over the past fifteen months only 3 instances

of Indo-Chinese refugees being rescued by British ships have come to our

notice. The total number of refugees involved was 65. In the first case

(15 refugees) the Indonesian authorities refused to allow them to disembark

at the first port of call, as did the South Africans at the second; the

refugees had to remain on board the vessel for a six-week voyage until they

could be landed at the third port of call in the United States. In the

second instance, (37 refugees) the Brunei authorities only allowed them to

disembark after lengthy negotiations between the British High Commissioner

and the Sultan. In the third case (13 refugees) the Singapore Government

refused them leave to land without an undertaking from HMG along the lines

proposed in this submission. We were only able to do so by virtue of there still being places available within the 116 quota at that time.

Furthermore, experience has shown that many of these refugees have some

connections with either the United States or France and most wish to be

resettled in those countries if it can be arranged.

9. We shall need to enquire whether the voluntary organisations would be

able to absorb these people without the need for additional government

funds. The BCAR set up special reception facilities for the small boat

refugees admitted under the 116 quota and it would seem that once these

have vacated the centre there will be sufficient capacity to receive those who would require the facilities under the scheme now proposed, but we know they are short of funds generally and may well ask for a grant.7

10.

!

If such a scheme were instituted for small boat refugees from Indo-

China we should have to apply it in other cases where the circumstances were

the same, and it would become in effect a part of our general refugee

policy. There have been no recent comparable cases elsewhere.

Conclusion

It is proposed that:-

1.

the United Kingdom should provide an undertaking, where it is

needed, that Indo-Chinese small boat refugees rescued by vessels

registered only in the United Kingdom may come to this country

for resettlement procedures to be continued if they have not been

relocated within an agreed period (probably 2 months) of their