TNAG-0887-FCO40-1097-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1979 — Page 6

Regist No.

SECURITY CLASSIFICATION

Top Secret,

Secret.

Confidential.

Restricted.

Unclassified.

PRIVACY MARKING

In Confidence

DRAFT

NOTE

To:-

VIETNAMESE REFUGEES: PORTUGAL

DSR 11

Type 1 +

From

SP Collis

Telephone No. Ext.

233 5639

Department

Southern European

boints on to Hing Kong, where the

situation is desperte.

now

The

Poriguere Government

should wishnet the

Обычно 1 части

ассолщия

Points to Make

1.

મેં

serim priblem over

We realize that Macao, has Macae must immediately stop passing refugees

Buy Amman. refugees from vietnam arriving in Macao to Hong Kon

not acceptable for Atspente

2.

.

The

wilkon his

There

Will Portugal make representations to Vietnam?

sent

А

3. Appreciate Portugal's own refugee influx (Angola,

Mozambique, E Timor). But is there any possibility

of Portugal accepting some Vietnamese refugees?

Essential Facts

Virtually all

4. Macao, which is administered by Portugal, is

refusing to accept any more refugees.

boats arriving are now escorted to sea and directed

towards Hong Kong.

5.

Portugal has no particular influence with Vietnam;

representations may nevertheless be helpful as part of

a coordinated drive.

6.

Up to 750,000 refugees, (almost 10% of the

country's population) returned to Portugal following

the withdrawal from Angola, Mozambique and E Timor

after the 1974 Revolution. Despite this largely

successful reintegration, it is likely that the

Portuguese will feel able to accept further refugees in

any significant numbers.

Dd 0532000 800M 5/78 HMSO Bracknell