TNAG-0654-FCO40-803-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-1977 — Page 62

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3. THE LIKELIHOOD IS THAT HONG KONG WOULD NOT BE LEFT WITH ANY

OF THIS GROUP BUT IN THE EVENT THAT ANY HAVE TO GO TO HONG KON

AND HAVE NOT BEEN SUBSEQUENTLY RESETTLED WITHIN TWO OR THREE

MONTHS THEN THEY MAY COME TO THE UK TEMPORARILY. IF THEY WISHED TO REMAIN IN THE UK, SYMPATHETIC CONSIDERATION WOULD BE GIVEN TO THEIR APPLICATIONS.

4. IF HONG KONG AGREED TO THIS PROCEDURE, THEN YOU MAY GIVE THE REQUIRED UNDERTAKING TO THE SINGAPORE AUTHORITIES. WHEN HANDING OVER THE UNDERTAKING YOU SHOULD THANK THE SINGAPOREANS FOR EXTENDING THE STAY TO 3 MONTHS OF THOSE RESCUED BY THE STRATHAPPIN.

YOU SHOULD ALSO DRAW ON THE POINTS IN PARAGRAPH 2 OF MY TELEGRAM NO 271 TO YOU (NOT TO HONG KONG). YOU COULD POINT OUT THAT

HONG KONG WHICH IS ANOTHER SMALL AND DENSELY POPULATED TERRITORY

HAS NONETHELESS BEEN MOVED BY HUMANITARIAN CONSIDERATIONS

NEVER TO REFUSE ENTRY TO REFUGEES PICKED UP AT SEA BY MERCHANT

VESSELS WHEN THE FIRST PORT OF CALL AFTER THE RESCUE WAS HONG KONG.

MANY THOUSANDS OF VIETNAMESE REFUGEES HAVE LANDED IN HONG KONG

WHERE THEY HAVE BEEN ALLOWED TO STAY TEMPORARILY PENDING FINAL

RESETTLEMENT AND OF THESE MANY HUNDREDS HAVE BEEN ALLOVED TO

SETTLE THERE PERMANENTLY.

OWEN

FILES

UND

SEAD

HKT40

NAD

MVD

PS/LORD' GORONWY ROBERTS

PS) MR LUARD

SIR.A-DUFF

MR WEIR

MR MURRAY MR FIGG

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MR.C.BIRT,

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