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SECURITY CLASSIFICATION
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Confidential.
Restricted, Unclassified.
PRIVACY MARKING
In Confidence
A
DRAFT
Letter
Toj D Symes Esq
Private Secretary to the
Secretary of State for Trade Department of Trade
1 Victoria Street SW1H OET
Type 1 +
FROM
PS/LPS
Telephone No. Ext.
Department
VIETNAMESE REFUGEES PICKED UP BY BRITISH SHIPS
1.
Thank you for your letter of 10 August about
what assurances can be given to the shipping
industry in respect of refugees picked up by
British ships.
2.
assurance.
accept that we are still
facing a difficulty with the General Council of
British Shipping, particularly as Britain seems
now to be the only major maritime power (excluding
flags of convenience) not to have given a specific
assurance that all refugees rescued at sea and not
settleable elsewhere would be accepted for settle-
ment by the flag state. However Ministers have
not yet agreed that Britain can give such an
OD decided on 10 July, and Cabinet
agreed two days later, that any refugees, who
arrived here after being picked up by British ships
should be included in the 10,000 quota, but did not
consider the question of whether we should now give
the specific assurance about ultimate. acceptance
may that other maritime powers, have given to their
shipping companies and are prepared to give to
* countries of first asylum or first port of call.
Cabinet decided on 29 May that no general
/commitment
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