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should the deadline for the ship's departure have passed without a guarantee having been given. The Home Office, however, despite our policy of giving guarantees only with regard to UK registered vessels, decided that one could be given in this case on humanitarian grounds. We were over a barrel! telephoned you at the eleventh hour to let you know this but the Americans stepped in with their guarantee first.
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3. It is not easy to give you specific instructions which will apply in all future cases. We continue to believe that countries of first asylum should accept refugees, if only temporarily, given the usual assurances from UNHCR regarding eventual re- settlement and without seeking guarantees of third countries. We accept, however, that this is a forlorn hope insofar as some South East Asian countries are concerned and the government's policy is, therefore, to provide a guarantee to bring to the UK refugees, rescued at sea by UK registered (ie registered in a UK port - not in the colonies) vessels, who are not accepted by the government of the rescuing ship's first scheduled port of call following the rescue operation. Ideally, we still like to consider each case on its merits and the Home Office need to consult voluntary agencies here who are responsible for reception and resettlement arrangements for refugees arriving in the UK. However, when you are satisfied that Singapore will not accept refugees brought into port by UK registered vessels then you may give the required guarantee immediately and inform us by telegram. This policy is regarded by UNHCR as a most reasonable one to follow. In adopting it, it goes without saying that we expect to receive into the UK further groups of Vietnamese refugees. We have no way of telling how many will come here but the number could be considerable. The Home Office have, therefore, thought it best not to announce any "expanded quota" as such. In any case, they don't like quotas in principle.
4. Complications can arise, as you know only too well, when the ship is UK owned but foreign registered. We expect the country of registration to take the responsibility but, as we all know, a number of them (eg Singapore and Liberia) will not do so. Even if we know that they will not do so, I think it important that we make the point initially that they should receive refugees without seeking guarantees. I realise, however, that in practice (eg over a weekend or in the event of a vessel's imminent departure), this may not always be possible. We do recognise Singapore's special problems but these, in some respects at any rate, are hardly unique. Hong Kong has been under a greater strain. Despite this, their response to the "boat people" problem has been commendable.
5. I hope you will find the foregoing helpful in dealing with future cases, insofar as UK registered vessels are concerned.
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