TNAG-0972-FCO40-1191-Vietnamese-refugees-in-Hong-Kong-1980 — Page 123

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RECEIVED IN RES. NO. 51

19 MAR 1980

DESK OFFICER

INDEX

REGISTRY

GRS 250

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سلام

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Action Taken

14.3

Aw 2612

FM HONG KONG 171035Z MARCH 8Ø

TO IMMEDIATE ATHENS

TELEGRAM NUMBER 2 OF 17 MARCH

INFO PRIORITY F C O

INFO ROUTINE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON

INFO SAVING UKMIS GENEVA

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MY TELNO 1 TO YOU: VIETNAMESE BOAT REFUGEES.

DESPITE FURTHER INTENSIVE EFFORTS BY THE UNHCR FOFFICE AND

THE GREEK HONORARY CONSUL-GENERAL, THERE ARE AT PRESENT ONLY 25 VOLUNTEERS FOR GREECE. ALL SHOULD BE READY TO LEAVE LATER THIS WEEK. ALTHOUGH SOME HAVE CLAIMED AN AGRICULTURAL BACKGROUND IN

EARLIER INTERVIEWS, IT SEEMS THAT MOST HOPE FOR OTHER FORMS OF EMPLOYMENT. NO DOUBT MUCH WILL DEPEND ON THE PRECISE TERMS IN WHICH AGRICULTURAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES ARE PRESENTED

TO THEM ON ARRIVAL.

2. THE UNHCR OFFICE ARE CONTINUING THEIR EFFORTS BUT IT IS UNLIKELY THAT MANY NEW VOLUNTEERS COULD BE FOUND IN THE NEXT FEW DAYS. THIS IS NOT SURPRISING GIVEN THAT NO REFUGEES HAVE PREVIOUSLY GONE FROM HERE TO GREECE. WE HOPE THAT THE GREEKS CAN

SE PERSUADED TO LET US CONTINUE TO TRY TO FILL THEIR QUOTA OF 150. IF THE RECEPTION ARRANGEMENTS IN GREECE FOR THE FIRST 25 GO WELL, LETTERS BACK TO FRIENDS HERE WILL ALSO GENERATE GREATER ENTHUSIASM.

3. IN EXPLAINING THE DIFFICULTIES TO THE GREEKS PLEASE EMPHASISE

THAT THE INITIAL RELUCTANCE OF REFUGEES TO GO TO UNFAMILIAR RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES MEANS THAT SELECTION TAKES TIME, ESPECIALLY

IF THERE IS NO TEAM FROM THE COUNTRY CONCERNED TO EXPLAIN RESETTLEMENT PLANS IN DETAIL. THERE IS ALSO THE FACTOR HERE THAT MANY REFUGEES HAVE TEMPORARY JOBS. THIS BENEFITS THEIR MORALE AND WELL-BEING AND ALSO RELIEVES THE FINANCIAL BURDEN ON UNHCR BUT ADDS TO THE TIME NEEDED TO FIND VOLUNTEERS, ESPECIALLY AT THE START OF A NEW PROGRAMME.

14. THE

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