TNAG-0900-FCO40-1110-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1979 — Page 111

HOFO 010/29

RR F C O

HKK 243

RECEIVED W POCKTEY

3.ONOV 1979

BESK OFFICER

INDEX

PA

J3011

ADVANCE COPY

нкав दोन

(1881

114

| |

のれい

C

RR HONGAID

GPS 170

CONFIDENTIAL

FM HONG KONG 290655Z NOV 79

TO ROUTINE FCO

TELEGRAM NUMBER 1671 OF 29 NOVEMBER

INFO HONG KONG GOVT OFFICE LONDON

VIETNAMESE REFUGEES- UK PROGRAMME.

When Bist. 21

6860333

2412.

WE ARE CONCERNED THAT THE DATE OF THE NEXT VISIT BY THE UK SELECTION TEAM HAS NOT YET BEEN FIXED. THE SHORT NOTICE GIVEN OF THE LAST VISIT MADE IT DIFFICULT FOR ESSENTIAL ADVANCE PREPARATION TO BE DONE. THIS POINT SEEMS TO HAVE BEEN TAKEN BY THE HOME OFFICE AS IT INTENDS TO SEND AN ADVANCE PARTY NEXT TIME. EVEN SO THE NUMBER OF THOSE REMAINING FROM PREVIOUS SELECTIONS LOOKS LIKE RUNNING CUT BEFORE ANY MORE CAN BE SELECTED BY THE

JANUARY TEAM.

2. WITH A REASONABLE OUTFLOW FOR DECEMBER, WE EXPECT, ALLOWING FOR DROP-OUTS AND MEDICAL HOLD CASES, THAT ON 1 JANUARY THERE MAY BE ONLY ABOUT 500 CASES LEFT TO MAKE UP THE JANUARY OFF-TAKE. IN VIEW OF BUILT-IN PROCESSING DELAYS WHICH CANNOT BE REDUCED THIS WILL MEAN A GAP IN THE UK PROGRAMME IF THE TEAM COMES AS SEEMS TO BE PLANNED.

3. IT SEEMS TO US ESSENTIAL THAT THE ADVANCE TEAM GET THERE BEFORE

1 JANUARY AND THE MAIN TEAM ARRIVES IN THE FIRST WEEK OF THE

NEW YEAR.

CATER

NNNN

f