TNAG-0971-FCO40-1190-Resettlement-of-Vietnamese-refugees-from-Hong-Kong-in-the-UK-1980 — Page 134

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of rat of making almost impossible the prospect of any further help being given to boat refugees in Hong Kong.

4.

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An additional considération, which I hope will not be overlooked, is that, besides having relatives still in Vietnam, a significant number of refugees settled in the UK may have relatives amongst the 260,000 refugees from Vietnam in China It is in Hong Kong's interest that any very close family relatives in Chins should be able to join their families in the UK by applying to the Embassy rather than feeling that the only way nut je to leave China illegally for Hong Kong, From our point of view we hope this will be given a higher priority than family reunion direct from Vietnam, since any lead given by the UK might then be followed by other rosettlement countries (and be supported by the UNHCR) and would reduce the danger of a further exodus to Hong Kong of refugees from Vietnam in China.

CC

DF Murray Esq AUS FCO

G L Angel Esq

Home Office

3 Margetson Esq

HANGI

H & VD FCO

UND FCO

HK & GD FCO

(D C Wilson)

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