TNAG-0895-FCO40-1105-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1979 — Page 259

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A.. UNTIL . FRANCIS SPOKE THIS MORTING I HAD NOT HEARD OF

1.

THIS PROPOSAL BUT IT SEEMS TO ME A VERY INTERESTING PROPOSAL AND ONE WORTH WHILE PURSING BECAUSE IT WOULD CERTAINLY MEAN THAT THE PROCESS OF THE REFUCEES LEAVING VIETNAM WOULD BE AN ORDERLY ONE AND THERE WOULD DE TIME FOR THE CIVILISED WORLD TO MAKE PLANS. BUT I AM SORRY TO THINK THAT CHE TALKS ABOUT A MORATORIUM AFTER SIX MONTHS AND ONE ACCEPTS THAT AFTER SIX MONTHS THERE IS GOING TO DC ANOTHER OUTFLOW OF REFUGEES WHICH ONE HOPES WILL NOT HAPPEN.

WILL THE UNHCR BE INVOLVED IN PLACING THE 10,000 PERSONS WHO WILL GO FROM HONG KONG TO BRITAIN?

A. ELL, NOT NECESSARILY AT ANY RATE - IT DEPENDS ON THE RESULTS OF WHAT THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT CAN DO.

COVERNOR: I WOULD EXPECT THEM TO GO DIRECT. IT WOULD BE A WASTE OF TIME FOR THEM TO GO TO PROCESSING CENTRES. THE HOME OFFICE WILL MAKE THEIR SELECTION AND ARRANGEMENTS WILL BE HADE PROBABLY BY THE EUROPE AND INTERNATIONAL COMMITTEE FOR MIGRATION FOR THEIR RETURN TO THE UK.

MACINNES

FILES

SEAD

HK & GD

UND

NEWS D M & VD PS PS/LPS

MR FERGUSSON

ADDITIONAL DISTN

MR FRETWELL

BOAT PEOPLE

FED

EESD

N AM D

SAD

EID

PUSD OID

IPD

PS/KR HURD PS/LR BLAKER

PS/PUS

SIR A DUFF

SIR A PARSONS

MK CORTAZZI

MR MURRAY

MR STRATTON

LORD NG LENNOK MR BULLARD