TNAG-0971-FCO40-1190-Resettlement-of-Vietnamese-refugees-from-Hong-Kong-in-the-UK-1980 — Page 126

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GVV 348/322/1

RESTRI

AKK 243/2

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY NO. 51

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ORD OF MEETING HELD IN MVD 67 HUNDAY, 12 JUNE 1980, BETWEEN

DESS

HOME OFFICE AND MVD, FOO, TO DISCUSS VIETNAMESE REFUGEES

4-8

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Those Present:

Mr JR Jamieson

MVD

Mr J Love Home Office

Mr JL Katzaros

MVD

Miss G Whitfield (Note Taker)

MVD

Mrs C J Yde-Poulson Home Office

Miss M Batchelor Home Office

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1. Mr Love began by saying that the Home Office had looked at the revised Visa Promise Letter and agreed to it. They would prepare it and our Embassy in Hanoi would retain the photographs and affix

and emboss them when the VPL arrived so as to save time and avoid

complicated sorting procedures in the Home Office. He suggested the following procedure as being the most efficient. The Embassy would receive the enquiry which they would forward to the Home

Office, if it fell within the category la of Jamieson's recommenda-

tions. After the usual checks by the sponsoring agencies and the

police, a VPL containing the names of successful applicants, plus

the original letter of enquiry, would be sent to MVD, for Hanoi, with additional copies for MVD's and Hanoi's files. The Home Office

would inform the UNHCR in London of the final outcome of all

applications.

2. Mr Katzaros wondered if photographs were necessary. Mr Love said they were because otherwise the door would be open to anybody.

The UNHCR in Hanoi who would pass on the VPL to the successful

applicants would be able to check the photograph with the applicant.

Mr Love did say that photographs for children under the age of five were not strictly necessary.

3. Mr Katzaros asked if Ministers would consider this procedure not

strict enough. Mr Love replied that (Home Office) Ministers wanted the job done quickly and cheaply and so inevitably corners had to be

cut.

4.

The proposed format of the new VPL was agreed. The Home Office would type these VPLs, of which about 20 a week were now being issued, The Home Office was "hastening slowly" on acceptances, largely

because of a backlog of several hundred applications for resettlement.

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