TNAG-0879-FCO40-1089-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1979 — Page 136

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TO IMMEDIATE CERTAIN MISSIONS AND DEPENDENT TERRITORIES

TELEGRAM NUMBER GUIDANCE 7 OF 18 JANUARY 1979

REFUGEES FROM VIETNAM

30

MY GUIDANCES 175 OF 22 DECEMBER AND 1 OF 3 JANUARY

1.

THE HOME SECRETARY ANNOUNCED IN A WRITTEN PARLIAMENTARY

ANSWER 17 JANUARY THAT BRITAIN WILL ADMIT A FURTHER 1,500

VIETNAMESE REFUGEES OVER THE NEXT 12 TO 15 MONTHS TO RELIEVE

THE PRESSURES ON HONG KONG, MALAYSIA AND THAILAND. TEXTS OF

ANSWER AND A HOME OFFICE STATEMENT WERE SENT TO CERTAIN POSTS

IN RETRACT 32217.

(TT)

LINE TO TAKE

+

2. WE SYMPATHISE WITH THE MASSIVE REFUGEE PROBLEM WHICH

TERRITORIES IN THE REGION FACE AND HOPE THAT OUR OFFER, COUPLED

WITH OUR SIGNIFICANT FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTIONS TO UNHCR, WILL FORM

PART OF A GREATER AND WIDER INTERNATIONAL RESPONSE TO THE

PROBLEM.

3. THE NUMBER OF RESETTLEMENT PLACES AVAILABLE SO FAR FALLS FAR

SHORT OF THE OVERALL REQUIREMENT. BECAUSE OF OUR SPECIAL

COMMITMENTS FOR ACCEPTING COMMONWEALTH IMMIGRANTS AND UK

PASSPORT HOLDERS FROM OVERSEAS, OUR ABILITY TO ABSORB CONSIDERABLE

NUMBERS OF REFUGEES IS LIMITED. NEVERTHELESS, IT IS RIGHT THAT

WE SHOULD DO WHAT WE CAN TO ASSIST THESE UNFORTUNATE PEOPLE.

ADDITIONAL POINT

4. WE EXPECT TO WORK CLOSELY WITH THE UNHCR WITH REGARD TO

APPLICATIONS FOR THE 1,500 PLACES. BRITISH VOLUNTARY AGENCIES,

WHO PLAY A GENEROUS ROLE IN CARING FOR REFUGEES, WILL HANDLE

RECEPTION AND SUBSEQUENT RESETTLEMENT OF THIS GROUP, COORDINATED

1

UNCLASSIFIED

/ BY THE BRITISH