CONFIDENTIAL
resettled and accommodation is now desperately short many refugees are now being housed on the vessels in which they arrived or in prisons because there is nowhere else for them to go. The situation is made much worse by the fact that Hong Kong is having to cope with very large numbers of immigrants from China 100,000 last year and over 60,000 already this year.
5. I believe that we have a clear obligation to give Hong Kong what help we can. In this particular case, it would not be understood by people in Hong Kong if we failed to give the kind offundertaking with regard to resettlement which we should not be able to avoid giving if the Sibonga's next port of call were, say, Singapore.
6. We have spoken to Home Office officials. Because of the numbers involved (anything up to 900 - we have no means of knowing how many of those on board the Sibonga will qualify for resettlement in the United States and elsewhere) they will need to consult Home Office Ministers before giving the undertaking for which the Governor has
asked.
RECOMMENDATION
7. The Home Office have indicated that their Ministers would
find it helpful to have advice from the Foreign and Commonwealth
Office. I submit a draft letter from Mr Blaker to Mr Raison.
UN Department concur.
21 May 1979
Copies to:
PS/Mr Hurd PS/PUS
Mr Cortazzi
UND SEAD MVD
Ruandum
R J T McLaren
Hong Kong and General Department
CONFIDENTIAL
/ I believe
2.
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