TNAG-0793-FCO40-997-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1978 — Page 234

CONFIDENTI AL

B)

SINGAPORE WILL ONLY ACCOMMODATE 1000 REFUGEES AT ANY ONE TIME. REFUGEES WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO LAND EVEN IF THEY HAVE GUARANTEES FROM THIRD COUNTRIES THERE ARE ALREADY 1300 REFUGEES IN TRANSIT FACILITIES IN SINGAPORE. (THERE ARE AT PRESENT SOME 800 BOAT PEOPLE HERE, OF WHOM ADOUT 300 HAVE BEEN HERE FOR MORE THAN 3 MONTHS)

C) REFUGEES WHO OVERSTAY THE 96 DAY PERIOD BY UP TO A MONTH

WILL BE HELD AGAINST VACANCIES. THE FOREIGN MISSION RESPONSIBLE

WILL BE DEPRIVED OF THOSE VACANCIES. (THIS CONDITION IS NOT

ENTIRELY CLEAR AND REQUIRES CLARIFICATION.)

D) ANY FOREIGN MISSION WHICH ALLOWS ANY REFUGEES FOR WHOM IT

HAS GUARANTEED RESETTLEMENT TO REMAIN IN SINGAPORE FOR MORE THAN 120 DAYS WILL BE DENIED THE PRIVILEGE OF LANDING REFUGEES. IT WILL ONLY BE ALLOWED TO REJOIN THE SCHEME AFTER A PENALTY PERIOD

WHICH IS EQUIVALENT TO THE PERIOD WHICH THE FOREIGN MISSION

TAKES TO RESETTLE THE LAST REFUGEE AFTER THE 120 DAYS.

4. THE MAIN OBJECTION TO THE NEW POLICY IS ITS APPARENT LACK

OF FLEXIBILITY IF RIGOROUSLY APPLIED. ITS OBJECT IS CLEARLY

TO BRING PRESSURE ON THOSE COUNTRIES WHICH, HAVING GIVEN THEIR

UNDERTAKING TO REMOVE REFUGEES FROM SINGAPORE WITHIN THREE

MONTHS THEN FAIL TO LIVE UP TO THIS. NORWAY IS THE PRIME

OFFENDER BUT IS IN A DIFFICULT SITUATION: THERE ARE MANY

NORWEGIAN SHIPS IN THE AREA AND MANY HAVE PICKED UP REFUGEES BUT

APPARENTLY RECEPTION FACILITIES IN NORWAY ARE INADEQUATE FOR

THE NUMBERS, OTHER COUNTRIES HAVE FROM TIME TO TIME HAD

DIFFICULTIES IN MOVING ON SOME REFUGEES WITHIN THE TIME LIMIT

BUT HAVE USUALLY DONE SO SOON AFTER AND SINGAPORE'S AGREEMENT

TO THESE SLIGHT OVERSTAYS HAS USUALLY BEEN GIVEN READILY ENOUGH,

5. THE US EMBASSY IS PARTICULARLY EXERCISED BY THE INTRODUCTION WITHOUT CONSULTATION OF MEASURES WHICH REDUCE THE RELATIVE FLEXIBILITY OF THE PRESENT ARRANGEMENTS. THEY ARE UNDER IN- STRUCTIONS TO REGISTER, IF POSSIBLE IN CONCERT WITH OTHER MISSIONS, STRONG DISAPPROVAL WITH THE SINGAPORE GOVERNMENT. AT A MEETING IN THE US EMBASSY ON 26 OCTOBER IT WAS PROPOSED THAT A REP- RESENTATIVE DELEGATION OF HEADS OF MISSION SHOULD CALL, IF

2 CONFIDENTIAL

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