TNAG-0899-FCO40-1109-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1979 — Page 63

CONFIDENTIAL

INDO-CHINESE REFUGEES

iii) UK RESETTLEMENT PROGRAMME

POINTS TO MAKE (DEFENSIVE)

ADMISSIONS

1. No doubt discussed fully with Mr Whitelaw and with Mr Marshall [Secretary, Joint Committee for Reception of Refugees from Vietnam], at your meetings yesterday.

2. We are anxious to receive refugees here as quickly as we can but this is dependent on the rate at which they can be assimilated into the community.

3.

As of 19 November, we had accepted just under 5,000 Indo- Chinese refugees, of whom just under 2,000 were from Hong Kong.

CONFIDENTIAL