TNAG-0894-FCO40-1104-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1979 — Page 61

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3

refugees to disembark, and give them immediate

temporary asylum or right of transit, in cooperation

with the UNHCR, so that permanent arrangements for

resettlement

can be made. (Note: Impracticable to

propose a new rule of law along these lines: take too

Long even if acceptable.)"

Flag State Last Resort

8 =

The proposal in paragraph 8 goes beyond current UK policy,

which is to consider "ships cases" on their merits and case by

case. Domestically it would make little difference if any

refugees accepted could be deducted from our overall quota, but

that would involve a corresponding reduction in those taken from

Hong Kong. (and Malaysia and Thailand under the earlier quota)

contrary to the declared purpose of the quota. Moreover, the

unpredictability of ships cases would cause difficulties in

handling the quota.

Nevertheless, in present circumstances there is no

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/practical