TNAG-0899-FCO40-1109-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1979 — Page 53

PS/Mr Hurd

CONFIDENTIAL

HKK. 243/

RELEMED BY Mchury No. 5

IND-Y

2 2 NOV 1979

1868 HK+&D

A Williamsor J22.

120511

A

ميلا

CALL ON MR HURD BY MR DE HAAN

REFUGEES: TUESDAY, 20 NOVEMBER:

1

22.81

LEPUTY UN HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR

4.45PM

Mr Dale de Haan (US), the Deputy UN High Commissioner for Refugees, is visiting London from 19-21 November. The main purpose of his visit is to address the Annual General Meeting of the Ockenden Venture (one of the 3 voluntary agencies

responsible for resettlement of Indo-Chinese refugees in the UK)

on Wednesday, 21 November.

2

Mr de Haan was last in London on 29 October to give a talk at Chatham House in place of the UNHCR, Mr Hartling, who was ill.

Mr de Haan was received on that occasion by Mr Blaker (the record

of their conversation is attached) and asked then if he might pay

this second visit.

3

Mr de Haan has indicated that this will be primarily a

courtesy call. He does, however, wish to raise (as will Mr Hurd) the question of the return of Rhodesian refugees, on which preliminary talks have already taken place in Geneva and New York. He will be accompanied by Mr Alain Peters a West African, and

head of UNHCR's West Africa Section) He will no doubt also wish

to discuss the situation of the Cambodian refugees and the boat people (Mr de Haan was the leading UNHCR negotiator of the 17-Point Programme for orderly direct departure of refugees from Vietnam). It is also possible that he may raise the question of refugees in the Horn of Africa and that of the UK pledge to the UNHCR for 1980, which we were unable to announce at the pledging conference

in New York on 16 November.

4

Mr de Haan saw yesterday the Secretary of the new Joint Committee for Reception of Refugees from Vietnam with whom he discussed the UK's record on resettlement of Indo-Chinese refugees.

CONFIDENTIAL

/He