TNAG-0971-FCO40-1190-Resettlement-of-Vietnamese-refugees-from-Hong-Kong-in-the-UK-1980 — Page 27

Mr Donald

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HKCK 243/2

0 5 DEC 1990

DESK OFFIC

INDEX

No

5.12

92

Ba

HONG KONG: VIETNAMESE REFUGEES VISIT OF THE UNHER TO L

Problem

1.

The Home Office have provided a draft brief for the visit

of Mr Hartling, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.

The brief goes further than we would wish in playing up the

difficulties involved in getting agreement to a new UK quota

for Vietnamese refugees from Hong Kong.

Recommendation

2.

I recommend that you write to Mr Hilary of the Home

Office on the lines of the attached draft. UND and SEAD agree.

Background and Argument

3.

Mr Hartling is seeing the Prime Minister and the Secretary

of State next week. In his letter of 28 November to the Home Office,

Mr Morrice said that Lord Carrington feels that all that can be said

to Mr Hartling at this stage is that no decision has been made on a new

UK quota for Vietnamese refugees, that we will take Mr Hartling's

views into account but that there are real difficulties.

feel particularly strongly that no suggestion should be made to

Mr Hartling that the UK will not accept a new quota (Hong Kong

Telegram No 1582). This could well cause the Americans to slow

up or halt their own off-take from Hong Kong.

4.

Hong Kong

The Home Office brief for these meetings (paragraphs 4-6

of the Points to Make) concentrates too much on the difficulties

and gives a very negative impression of the chances for a new quota.

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