GRS 185
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DE Y 081100Z DUBLIN
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FM HONG KONG 081010Z AUG 79
HKKZH3
P4
TO IMMEDIATE DUBLIN
TELEGRAM NUMBER 4 OF 8 AUGUST
INFO IMMEDIATE F C O, PRIORITY UKMIS GENEVA, WASHINGTON HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON
VIETNAMESE REFUGEES TO IRELAND.
this
| No Shaya
1. THE 100 REFUGEES SELECTED BY UNHCR FOR THE IRISH OFFER WERE BOOKED TO LEAVE AT 2200 LOCAL THIS EVENING. IT NOW SEEMS LIKELY- THAT ONLY 58 WILL TRAVEL. LOCALLY THE PRESS HAVE SUGGESTED THAT THE REMAINDER HAVE REFUSED TO TRAVEL BECAUSE THEY WOULD PREFER RESETTLEMENT IN THE US.
2. IN FACT THE DIFFICULTIES SEEM TO HAVE ARISEN PARTLY THROUGH THE FAILURE OF REFUGEES TO TURN UP FOR MEDICAL CHECKS, OF WHICH THEY WERE GIVEN VERY SHORT NOTICE. FOR YOUR OWN INFORMATION, WE ALSO SUSPECT THAT THE LOCAL UNHCR OFFICE MAY HAVE MADE THEIR SELECTION HASTILY, PAYING INSUFFICIENT ATTENTION TO THE NEED TO CONVINCE SOME
REFUGEES WITH DISTANT RELATIVES IN THE US THAT THEY HAD IN FACT
NO PRIORITY CLAIM UNDER THE US PROGRAMME.
3. PLEASE REASSURE THE IRISH GOVERNMENT THAT WE SHALL DO ALL WE CAN IN CONSULTATION WITH UNHCR TO ENSURE THAT THE BALANCE OF THE QUOTA FROM HONG KONG WILL SOON BE READY TO LEAVE.
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HK & GD
UND
FED
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FUSD
OID
IPD
FS/LPS
FS/MR HURD
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SIR A DUFF
SIR A PARSONS
MR CORTAZZI
MR MURRAY
MR STRATTON
NEWS D
MR BULLARD
MR FRETWELL
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