TNAG-0654-FCO40-803-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-1977 — Page 70

HKK

243/332

RECEIVED

1 0 OCT 1977

Foreign and Commonwealth Office DECK OFFICER

London SW1A 2AH

KG.

REGISTRY

Action Take

INDEX

PA

Ju

Telephone 01-

233

8631

Enter re

731

31.0

UNCLASSIFIED

C Birt Esq

Immigration & Nationality Branch

Home Office

Lunar House

Croydon

CRO 2BY

Wellesley Road

VIETNAMESE REFUGEES RESCUED AT SEA

1.

Your reference

Our reference

Date

5 October 1977

I Davit

827/10

I promised to let you have details of the numbers of refugees picked up by ships (with a British connection) and on whose behalf HMG had given undertakings to third countries.

2. Apart from the 21 refugees who were brought here from Japan in February this year, and for whom we have now fulfilled our commit- ment, there are no outstanding numbers of refugees on whose behalf we have given assurances to third countries to accept into the UK on a permanent basis.

2. We have, however, given a guarantee to the Singaporeans that we will bring to the UK any of the 13 refugees, recently picked up by the MV Strathappin, who are not otherwise relocated within a period of 2 months ie by 24 November: the understanding is that they will come to the UK only temporarily to allow the UNHCR relocation process to continue. It seems unlikely that more than a few, if any, will in fact be required to come here. In addition, we have told the Japanese that we will give most sympathetic consideration to applications from any of the 26 refugees who were recently landed in Japan by the Golden Dolphin. But we are not bound to accept any refugees from these two groups on a permanent basis.

4.

I have compiled for my own purposes, details of ships (with a British connection) which have picked up refugees at sea since July last year. I enclose a copy which you might find of interest. There have been many other cases, involving not only British ships, where refugees have been rescued and put ashore at Hong Kong and there must have been a number of other rescue operations, not reported to us, where no particular difficulties have arisen.

5. We have had reports, although we have not checked these with the countries concerned, of other countries which have in the past year provided guarantees to take (either temporarily or permanently) refugees who are not relocated within specified periods of time

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