TNAG-0889-FCO40-1099-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1979 — Page 183

CODE 18-77

Mr Quantrill

Ir McLaren f

12%

Reference HKK 24.3 RECEIVED IN REGISTA” N

-

- 7 JUN1979

DESK OFFICER

971

INL

مام

PA

819.61

MV SIBONGA

1. I attended a meeting in the Home Office yesterday to discuss the refugees on the Sibonga. The discussion was entirely technical and there was no need for an FCO input.

2.

The provisional arrangements for the transportation of the refugees to the UK are as follows:

Date

11 June

12 June

Nos.

90

130

(at present on two flights but at Home

Office request Hong Kong are trying to get all on one flight)

(again on two flights but the same action

is being taken as for 12 June)

altogether

altogether

13 June

80

14 and 15 June

200

17 and 18 June

300

20 and 21 June

The remainder

3.

The arrangements from 14 to 21 June are provisional and the Director of Immigration in Hong Kong will ring me tomorrow to confirm and provide exact details which I will pass to the Home Office. I am also contacting BA at this end about this.

4. At yesterday's meeting, the voluntary agencies asked that the refugees be inoculated against cholera and Hong Kong have confirmed that the will be inoculated against not only cholera but also smallpox. There was also a request that all the refugees should, if possible, be X-rayed in Hong Kong and their X-rays sent with them. Hong Kong have undertaken to try and arrange this although X-ray facilities there are booked literally days, if not weeks, in advance.

5. I am in constant contact with both the Home Office and the Immigration Department in Hong Kong and will report any further significant developments.

cc. Mu Still (SEAD)

der Morgan (UND)

6 June 1979

Ərikianon

P J Williamson

Hong Kong and General Department