17
GR
RESTRICTED
HKK 24 = 1
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FM HONG KONG 181016Z OCT 79
EX
TO IMMEDIATE FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE
TELNO.1455 OF 18 OCTOBER,
INFO UKMIS GENEVA.
1.
YOUR
23
YOUR TELNO.817: MOVEMENT OF REFUGEES FROM HONG KONG TO U.K.
WE ARE PUZZLED BY SOME OF THE DETAILS IN REFTEL PARA.2. FROM OUR RECORDS, AUTHORISATION WAS RECEIVED IN SEPTEMBER FOR THE ONWARD TRAVEL OF 1,420 REFUGEES (YOUR TELNOS. VISA 402, 403, 412, 413, 422, 423, 424, 457 AND 461), NOT 1,700. FURTHERMORE, IN 1,155 CASES ACCOMMODATION WAS NOT IMMEDIATELY AVAILABLE SEMI:
AND OF THESE, DATES IN OCTOBER WERE GIVEN FOR 748.
2.
ON AVERAGE ICEM HAVE MOVED REFUGEES COVERED IN VISA TELS ABOVE IN TWO WEEKS FROM THE DATE AT WHICH ACCOMMODATION WAS AVAILABLE (INCLUDING THOSE FOR WHOM IT WAS READY FROM THE DATE OF AUTHORISATION). THIS DOES NOT INCLUDE (FROM THE AUTHORISATIONS RECEIVED FOR MOVEMENT IN SEPTEMBER) ABOUT 110 WHO DID NOT TURN UP FOR TRANSFER TO THE TRANSIT CAMP, 40 HELD ON MEDICAL GROUNDS AND 34 WHO HAVE GONE OR APPLIED TO GO TO OTHER COUNTRIES FOR A VARIETY OF REASONS.
3. FOR OCTOBER, ICEM HAVE BOOKED SEATS FOR 1,062 OF WHOM 473 HAVE ALREADY LEFT. THERE ARE NO OUTSTANDING AUTHORISATIONS APART FROM EARLIER NO SHOWS WHO ARE STILL BEING TRACED AND
MEDICAL HOLDS.
4. ICEM HAVE TOLD US THAT SEPTEMBER WAS A DIFFICULT MONTH FOR FINDING PLACES ON B.A FLIGHTS, BUT NO DIFFICULTIES ARE EXPECTED FOR OCTOBER OR NOVEMBER. PROBLEMS ARE ONLY LIKELY TO ARISE IN DECEMBER IF BCAR WERE READY TO RECEIVE SAY 1,000 REFUGEES IN THE FIRST TWO WEEKS. IN THAT CASE ICEM WOULD PREFER TO FIND PLACES
+1813,
1807A
RESTRICTED
NO
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