CONFIDENTIAL
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The UK has contributed generously to UNHCR appeals on behalf of Indo-China refugees. In 1974/75 the government gave £2 million in relief aid for Indo-China of which £400,000 went to UNHCR. In 1977 the government gave £750,000 for the UNHCR programme of assistance for displaced persons in Thailand and other countries in South East Asia. In 1978 a further £1 million was given to this programme.
Vietnamese "small boat" Refugees
A considerable amount of attention is likely to be focused during this Session on the urgent need for resettlement in third countries of "boat refugees". Concern may also be expressed about the continuing allegations that passing ships are ignoring "boat refugees" in distress at sea.
The UK delegation may mention the apparently forsaken principle that countries of first scheduled port of call for ships who have picked up refugees at sea should allow these refugees to land (if only temporarily) against assurance by the UNHCR that they will be resettled in other countries in due course. have had difficulties, particularly with the Singapore government, but also with others, on this).
(We
In September 1977, the government reminded British masters. through the General Council of British Shipping, of UK legislation which requires them to rescue anyone in distress at sea when it is within their power to do so. We believe that British masters have a good record in observing this requirement. In October 1977, UNHCR issued an appeal jointly with the Secretary-General of IMCO urging ship-owners to assist "boat people" in accordance with international agreements relating to rescue at sea.
Acceptance of Indo-China Refugees in the UK
At the end of September 1978 the UK had taken about 890 Indo- China refugees. These included 331 refugees who were already in the UK when their countries fell and were given permission to remain; 263 refugees who were accepted on the strength of previous ties or connexions with the UK and 296 boat refugees. These figures do not include a further 236 refugees recently rescued by British vessels and on whose behalf we have given their countries of disembarkation acceptance guarantees.
The Home Office will consider for acceptance into the UK any Indo-China refugee who has previous connexions with this country. The Home Secretary has also ruled that the UK will accept any refugee picked up by a UK-registered vessel and taken to the vessel's next scheduled port of call, who is not accepted for resettlement by another country. (For the UK delegation's information only, it is not the Home Secretary's intention to give a similar guarantee in respect of other British ie dependent territory registered vessels although he might give sympathetic consideration to certain cases).
/Vietnamese
CONFIDENTIAL
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