TNAG-0898-FCO40-1108-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1979 — Page 188

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RECORD OF A MEETING BETWEEN MR TIMOTHY RAISON, MINISTER OF STATE, HOME OFFICE, LEADER OF UK DELEGATION TO UNHCR EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE AND MR POUL HARTLING, UN HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES, ON 9 OCTOBER AT THE PALAIS DES NATIONS

Also Present

Mr P H R Marshall

Mr D Snoxell

Mr J Gilbert

Permanent Representative, UK Mission Geneva UK Mission Geneva

Private Secretary

As time was short Mr Hartling began straight away with the two problems he wished to raise. These were the speed of resettle- ment of Indo-Chinese refugees in the UK and the implementation of UK obligations under the Refugee Convention and Protocol.

RESETTLEMENT IN THE UK

Mr Hartling outlined the events leading up to the July Conference and its results. The number of resettlement places had been more

than doubled to 267,000 and UNHCR were urging all governments to take their quotas as quickly as possible. Mr Hartling was disappointed that the UK was receiving refugees at a rate of only

500 a month which meant that it would be 20 months before the

10,000 quota had been completed. He suggested that as the UK was going to accept that number any way they might as well do it as quickly as possible.

Mr Raison first stressed the importance that the UK attached to all eviating the situation in Hong Kong and that Hong Kong should

have access to the Special Processing Centres. As for resettle-

ment, new reception camps were being opened and the programme was being stepped up; the rate of flow would increase towards the end

of the year. The Government was strengthening the organisation by setting up an Executive Committee, under the chairmanship of a

well-known public figure, as the task had gone beyond the capacity of the voluntary societies. Mr Raison was encouraged by the good reception of refugees in the UK. However, the distinction between refugees and immigrants sometimes got blurred

in the public's mind. Mr Hartling replied that this distinction must be preserved and that he was pleased to hear that the rate

of flow would increase.

REFUGEE CONVENTION

Mr Hartling then turned to the UK's obligations under the

Convention. That it was not a part of British law did give rise to some problems. Mr Raison said that there had been much discussion in this field and that the Government had been able

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