TNAG-0892-FCO40-1102-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1979 — Page 237

3.

C

(09)

CONFIDENTIAL

ATTITUDE OF MARITIME NATIONS TO VIETNAMESE BOAT REFUGEES

1. The following 12 countries are now known to have given commitments

accept for resettlement ary refugees picked up by their flag vessels:

2.

Australia (on a case by case basis)

Belgium (refugees to be delivered to Belgium, not to

first port of call)

Canada (automatic acceptance)

Denmark (no public commitment)

France (automatic acceptance)

FRG (Last resort)

Greece (no public commitment)

Italy (last resort)

Netherlands (automatic acceptance)

Norway (last resort)

Sweden (also meets cost of rescue)

USA (last resort)

The position of Japan has not yet been ascertained, but the

Department of Trade are pressing them for a reply.

NUMBER OF REFUGEES PICKED UP OR LIKELY TO BE PICKED UP AT SEA

3.

It is impossible to quantify the numbers of refugees whom British

ships might rescue over any given period, but the following table of

pick-up incidents in the first five months of 1979 (provided in

response to an enquiry by the Department of Trade) suggests that

sizeable rescues like that by the Sibonga may be statistically rare:

CONFIDENTIAL

/UK