TNAG-0971-FCO40-1190-Resettlement-of-Vietnamese-refugees-from-Hong-Kong-in-the-UK-1980 — Page 166

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DSR 11C

XI

routine enquiries, but simply to pass them on to MVD and

the Home Office unread. (This would not of course be

welcome to those concerned here, who have their own staff

problems). Another might be to give you some clear guide- lines for filtering. The meeting supported your request for an early visit from an immigration specialist, and

MVD are now seeking clearance to include Hanoi with Hong Kong and some other regional posts in such a visit (the

Home Office cannot provide a visitor in the immediate

future). You will hear from MVD about this shortly.

5. On the wider policy issues, Home Office officials had already decided that it would be necessary to obtain a ministerial view soon on the implications of family reunions from Vietnam (including the question of whether they should be treated as outside the 10,000 quota) and had indeed written to us seeking an assessment of some aspects of the problem. They will now postpone their

submission to take into account the results of the MVD

visit, which, although primarily designed to produce solutions to your administrative problems, would also provide a useful opportunity to look at the longer term

aspects of the problem on the spot.and compare notes with

UNHCR and Hong Kong immigration officials. The Home Office

are particularly interested in any statistics you or UNHCR

may have readily available on the number of exit permits

which have been issued to visa promise letter holders, and

whether any have been refused. Operational problems could

arise for us if the Vietnamese suddenly released large numbers of exit permits: among other things this could disrupt the handling of our off take from Hong Kong. It would therefore be helpful to have from you now (in advance

of this visit) an assessment of the likelihood of the

present trickle of exit visas being stepped up significantly, and your advice on whether it might be possible, or advisable to seek to negotiate a phased rate of departure with the Vietnamese for those to whom we are issuing visa promise

letters.

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