TNAG-0971-FCO40-1190-Resettlement-of-Vietnamese-refugees-from-Hong-Kong-in-the-UK-1980 — Page 154

HKK 243/2 RECEIVED IN REGISTRY NO. 51 2 2 APR 1980

DESK OFFICER

INDEX

M

PA

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REGISTRY

Action Taken

AW 22/4

GPS 210

RESTRICTED

FM HONG KONG 182348Z APR BØ

TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG GOVT OFFICE LONDON

TELEGRAM NUMBER 386 OF 18 APRIL

N.I.R,

YOUR TELNO HK 387 OF 15 APRIL VIETNAMESE REFUGEES.

FOR WEBB-JOHNSON FROM BARNES.

"

See (33

CLIFT'S LETTER (COPIED TO BRAY) MAINLY REPORTED HOME OFFICE DOUBTS

ABOUT THEIR FUNDING LANGUAGE TRAINING. IN ANY CASE IT IS THE AVAILABILITY OF HOUSING RATHER THAN ANY SHORTCOMINGS IN LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY WHICH GOVERNS (AND IS AT PRESENT DELAYING) THE SPEED OF OFF-TAKE OF REFUGEES TO UK.

2. CLIFT DID REFER TO HOME OFFICE CONSIDERATION OF ORIENTATION COURSES FOR REFUGEES IN HONG KONG. THIU WOULD BE USEFUL FOR (A) GENERATING INTEREST AMONGST REFUGEES HERE IN RESETTLEMENT IN UK

AND

(B) KEEPING UP THE INTEREST OF THOSE SELECTED FOR RESETTLEMENT TO UK, BUT NOT YET DEPARTED, AND THUS REDUCING DROPOUTS DUE TO LOSS OF INTEREST.

3. (B) ABOVE IS ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT DUE TO THE DELAY IN ACTUAL DEPARTURES: OF THE 3,831 REFUGEES SELECTED IN JANUARY, ONLY 1,337 HAVE (UP TO 18 APRIL) ACTUALLY DEPARTED. THE DROP OUT RATE FOR THE THREE SELECTION EXERCISES IN 1979 WAS ABOUT ELEVEN PERCENT. AS FOR THE JANUARY 1982 SELECTION, THERE ARE ALREADY 169 DROPOUTS. ANYTHING THAT CAN BE DONE TO BOOST AND MAINTAIN INTEREST IN

UK WOULD HELP IN REDUCING DROPOUTS.

4. INCIDENTALLY, JOHN POINTON, HEAD OF ADULT EDUCATION IN THORNEY ISLAND RECEPTION CENTRE, WHO HAS BEEN HERE RECENTLY,

ALSO NOTED THIS ASPECT. HE HAD PROMISED TO UEND US MATERIAL ON LIFE AND SOCIETY IN UK WHICH CAN BE USED FOR ORIENTATION SESSIONS

FOR REFUGEES HERE.

CATER

FILES

HK & GD

COPIES TO:

HONG KONG GOVT OFFICE, LONDON

RESTRICTED

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