TNAG-0893-FCO40-1103-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1979 — Page 188

GPS 205

CONFIDENTIAL

CONFIDENTIAL

EM HONG KONG 0310252 JUL

PRIORITY F.C.0.

TILEGRAM NUMBER 919 OF 3 JULY, 1979

INFO PRIORITY ROME, UKMIS GENEVA

INFO ROUTINE KUALA LUMPUR AND BANCKOM VIETNAMESE REFUGEES: ITALIAN PROGRAMME.

(1282

Hki

HKK 243/1

Per

PA

1. WE UNDERSTAND THAT ITLAY IS CURRENTLY TAKING ABOUT 50 REFUGEES PER MONTH FROM MALAYSIA AND PERHAPS A SMILAR NUMBER

FROM THAILAND..

2. THE ITALIAN CONSUL-GENERAL HERE HAS SUGGESTED THAT HIS GOVERNMENT MIGHT BE WILLING TO CONSIDER STARTING A PROGRAMME IN HONG KONG. HE ADDED THAT THERE HAS BEEN CONSIDERABLE PUBLICITY RECENTLY IN THE ITALIAN PRESS ON REFUGEES IN HONG

KONG.

3

UNLESS YOU SEE OBJECTION, GRATEFUL IF ROME WOULD MAKE REPRESENTATIONS ON OUR BEHALF, DRAWING ON THE FOLLOWING

POINTS:

A. ITALY HAS ONLY TAKEN 5 REFUGEES (ONE FAMILY) FROM HONG KONG THIS YEAR, IF THE ITALIANS ARGUE THAT IT WAS DIFFICULT ENOUGH TO FIND ONE FAMILY WILLING TO GO TO ITALY, THEY COULD BE REMINDED THAT THIS PROBLEM WOULD NOT ARISE IN THE CONTEXT OF A REGULAR PROGRAMME COVERING, SAY, 20 FAMILIES A MONTH. B. IT IS UNFAIR TO PENALISE HONG KONG FOR MAINTAINING A PUMANE LANDING POLICY WHILE REWARDING COUNTRIES WHICH FAIL

TO DO SO:

:

reelizo

C. 60,000 REFUGEES AWAIT RESETTLEMENT IN HONG KONG, ONLY 5,000 HAVE LEFT SO FAR THIS YEAR, ABOUT 12 PER CENT OF THE ARRIVAL. RATE: WHEREAS MALAYSIA (WITH FEWER ARRIVALS) HAS HAD A DEPARTURE RATE THIS YEAR OF OVER 40 PER CENT.

MACLE HOS E

1296

!

PS/LPS PS/MR.HURE PS/MR.BLAKER

FILES

SEAD

NEWS D M & VD

HK & GD

PS

UNT

FED

EESD

N AM D

30

EID

FUSD

OID

IFD WED

PS/FUS

SIR A DUFF

SIR A PARSONS MR.CORTAZZI

MR.MURRAY MR. STRATTON

ADDITIONAL DISTN.

BOAT PEOPLE

CONFIDENTIAL

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