TNAG-0879-FCO40-1089-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1979 — Page 65

CR 7/4821/78

BY BAG

CONFIDENTIAL

P MORGAN ESQ

UNITED NATIONS DEPARTMENT

·F CO

HKK $43)!.

15 January 1979

OFFICEN

R

No

ग्या ह

ABOARD

REFUGEES FROM VIETNAM ABOARD "HUEY FONG"

BIODATA

The final figure is

Jaali

3318

As you will know from telegrams, we have allowed Angelo Rasanayagam, the local NHCR oblin representative, to biographic details from the

refugees aboard the "HUEY FONG" and to give these on a confidential basis to the representatives here of the major potential resettlement countries. At the meeting which he arranged this morning, Rasanayagam circulated his preliminary analysis. I attach a copy. This shows that there are 3383 refugees in 604 family groups. of these, 2972 (in 526 family groups) claim relatives overseas while 411 (in 78 family groups) do not claim relatives overseas. In many cases, the refugees appear to have a number of overseas relatives, some in different countries. Rasanayagam therefore intends this afternoon to give copies of the individual sheets to the local representatives of potential resettlement countries and will also include details of refugees who claim to have relatives in each country even where the closest relative (or his preference where there are no relatives) is for a different country. Generally, the relationship claimed is that with the head of the family group. On the basis of the details provided by the refugees the breakdown of the claims is as follows:

Country/ Territory

USA

Family Groups

Persons

273

1497

Australia

142

931

-/2

CONFIDENTIAL