TNAG-0899-FCO40-1109-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1979 — Page 278

VIETNAMESE REFUGEES: PRESENT SITUATION

4.

The flow of boat refugees from Vietnam has lessened since

the July meeting in Geneva. But over 64,000 still await

resettlement in Hong Kong alone. There are indications that

the numbers reaching coasts around the South China Sea have

begun to rise again.

DIRECT DEPARTURES (7 POINT PROGRAMME

5. We understand that the UN High Comissioner for Refugees and

the Vietnamese Government are still discussing the expansion of

this programme. [If pressed] UNHCR have details of those

individuals whom the UK is ready to accept under these

procedures. But we have no plans to allocate a quota for such

departures.

BOAT RESCUES

6.

We continue to emphasise the importance of the first port.

of call principle, and are pleased that in recent cases both

Japan and South Korea have accepted into temporary asylum

refugees rescued by British-registered vessels.

VIETNAMESE INTENTIONS

7. We sincerely hope that Vietnam will not revert to its earlier

policies of expelling large numbers of its population in unsea-

worthy boats. The UN Secretary-General will soon be reporting

to the General Assembly, which will give us a further opportunity

of assessing the situation.

INDO-CHINESE REFUGEES IN THE UK

8. Since the fall of Saigon in 1975 until the end of September,

over 4,200 refugees have arrived in the UK from Indo-China, most

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