TNAG-0971-FCO40-1190-Resettlement-of-Vietnamese-refugees-from-Hong-Kong-in-the-UK-1980 — Page 30

CODE 18-77

SS 8/78

CONFIDENTIAL

Reference

5.

for refugees in Hong Kong. It will be necessary in this context to see how the American programme of English language training in the territory goes. There may be some possibilities in this line but there are obvious difficulties including that of finding housing and jobs for refugees in Britain at long range.

(c) A variation on (b) would be to send people to

another centre in the region, eg in Bataan, to be held against later off-take to the UK.

One complicating factor for Hong Kong is a recent American request to the territory to take a number of refugees from other parts of South-East Asia who would be held pending off-take to the US. Hong Kong are naturally not keen on this but nevertheless do not want to reject it out of hand in case it may be a bargaining counter to persuade the Americans to keep up their off-take of refugees from Hong Kong.

Comment

6. Hong Kong's view that we should hold off a decision for as long as possible seems to be generally accepted in London. There may be difficulties in holding the line with the Americans and others and Mr Hartling's visit could make it difficult to maintain that a decision on a new quota was still open. But it is very important for Hong Kong's sake to impress upon the Home Office that they should not make so much of the difficulties that everyone assumes that we have made up our minds now. Hong Kong will be considering further possible ways of mitigating the effects of a new British quota and will be in touch about this. We will need to consider our own timetable, including any further discussion between the Secretary of State and the Home Secretary and briefing for the Secretary of State's visit to Hong Kong. The Governor's view that Lord Carrington's visit to Hong Kong might be the only way of bringing off a new quota may be right, although it is certainly leaving things very late. It may be worth having a short meeting with other FCO Departments to discuss these questions, perhaps after the Hartling visit.

Дир

R D Clift

Hong Kong & General Department

3 December 1980

Copy to:

Mr Burns SEAD

Mr Williams UN Department

CONFIDENTIAL

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