TNAG-0896-FCO40-1106-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1979 — Page 88

RS 150

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refugees.

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HKK 243

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FN OTTAWA 231945Z AUG 79

TO PRIORITY HONG KONG

TELEGRAM NUMBER 12 OF 23 AUGUST

AND TO PRIORITY FCO

YOUR TELNO 7: VIETNAMESE REFUGEES

*

1. WE HAVE SPOKEN TO THE APPROPRIATE DIVISION IN THE DEPARTMENT CF EXTERNAL AFFAIFS AND HAVE TOLD THEM WHEN YOU WILL BE IN OTTAWA. THEY ARE NOW ATTEMPTING TO ARRANGE MEETINGS WITH MINISTERS AND OFFICIALS AND WILL CONTACT YOU THROUGH THEIR HONG KONG OFFICE.

2. YOU MAY WISH TO KNOW THAT THE DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER, WALTER BAKER, IMPLIED INFORMALLY TO A MEMBER OF CHANCERY THAT CANADA HOULD NOT REACH THE TOTAL OF 50,000 RESETTLLEMENT PLACES FOR REFUGEES. HE SUGGESTED THAT THE CANADIAN GOVERNMENT HAD GIVEN A HIGH TARGET BUT NEVER BELIEVED THAT IT WOULD BE REACHED. THEY JUDGED THAT THE PUBLIC WOULD NOT WELCOME A LARGE NUMBER OF REFUGEES AND THAT THEIR SCHEME OF RECEIVING ONE REFUGEE FOR EVERY OFFER OF PRIVATE SPONSORSHIP ENSURED THAT OFFICIAL RESETTLEMENT PLANS TALLIED EXACTLY WITH PUBLIC OPINION AND KEPT NUMBERS DOWN. HE SAID THAT THE COVERNMENT HAD TO BEAR IN MIND THE EFFECT OF IMMIGRATION ON UNEMPLOYMENT IN THE COUNTRY.

FLACK

ADDITIONAL DISTRIBUTION ·

BOAT PEOPLE

FILES

SEAD

# & GD

UND

FED

BESD

I AM D

SAD

MAED

EID

PUSD

OID

IPD

NEWS D XVD

FS

PG/LFS.

FS/MR HURD PS/MR BLAKER

FS/FUS

SIR A DUTT

MR CORTAZZI

MR MURRAY

MR STRATTON

LORD N G LENNOX

MR BULLARD

MR FERGUSSON MR PRETWELL

CONFIDENTIAL