TNAG-0898-FCO40-1108-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1979 — Page 233

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4.

An agreement has been reached under which UNHCR assumed

responsibility for all refugees in Hong Kong with effect from

1 September. However, the Hong Kong Government still have some

misgivings. In particular they believe that UNHCR are not meeting

all the costs they should, and are not making adequate provision

for their likely future commitments in Hong Kong (Hong Kong

telegram No 1351 of 28 September). Our delegation to the 30th

meeting of the UNHCR Executive Committee in Geneva from 8-16 October

have been briefed to raise this question (copy attached).

5. The other points covered in Mr Birt's report (in particular

the question of the rate of intake of refugees from Hong Kong

into Britain) are being dealt with separately.

5 October 1979

сс

Lord N Gordon Lennox UND SEAD

RJT McLaren

Hong Kong and General Department

CONFIDENTIAL