TNAG-0974-FCO40-1193-Resettlement-of-Vietnamese-refugees-from-Hong-Kong-in-other--1980 — Page 180

GR 250

RESTRICTED

FM ATHENS 031130Z MAR

TO PRIORITY FCO

НСК

HKKC 24315

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY NO. 51

RESTRICTED

DESK OT INDEX

PA

J28.3

مل

RECISTRY Action Taken

AW 2613

TELNO 73 OF 3 MARCH 80

AND TO PRIORITY GOVERNOR HONG KONG

SAVING TO UKMIS GENEVA

YOUR TELEGRAM NO 1 SAVING TO BONN :

VIETNAMESE BOAT REFUGEES IN HONG KONG

1. THE GREEK GOVERNMENT REMAIN WILLING TO TAKE 150 REFUGEES FROM HONG KONG AS A ''TOKEN'' CONTRIBUTION TO THE VIETNAMESE REFUGEE PROBLEM AND, WITH THE HELP OF TERLIN THE LOCAL UNHCR REPRESENTATIVE HAVE FOUND PLACES FOR ALL OF THEM IN AGRICULTURE. EMPLOYERS WANT THE REFUGEES TO START AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. ONLY 57 REFUGEES FROM HONG KONG HAVE, HOWEVER, VOLUNTEERED TO COME TO GREECE, THE MAJORITY HAVE NO AGRICULTURAL BACKGROUND.

2. TERLIN, WHO IS SEEING THE MFA ON 3 MARCH, HOPES THAT THE GREEKS WILL ACCEPT THE 57 DESPITE THEIR LACK OF AGRICULTURAL EXPERIENCE. IF, AS IS LIKELY, THEY INSIST THAT THE REMAINING 93 BE RESITTLED IN AGRICULTURE, HE WILL PROPOSE THEY COME FROM PLACES OF FIRST REFUGE OTHER THAN HONG KONG. THE MFA ASSURED US ON 29 FEBRUARY THAT, FOR THE TIME BEING THEY REMAIN COMMITTED TO HONG KONG: BUT THEY WANT

FARM WORKERS.

3. THE HONG KONG AUTHORITIES MAY WISH TO INVESTIGATE WHETHER ADDITIONAL REFUGEES CANNOT BE PERSUADED TO ACCEPT RESETTLEMENT IN AGRICULTURE : OTHERWISE THEY MAY LOSE THE 93 PLACES OFFERED BY

GREECE.

SUTHERLAND

FILES HAARD

SEAD

UND

FED

ECD

PUSD

OID

IPD

NEWS D

PS PS/IPS

THIS TELEGRAM WAS NOT ADVANCED]

PS/MR BLAKER

PS/PUS

SIR D MAITLAND

MR CORTAZZI

MR MURRAY

MR STRATTON

LORD NG LENNOX

ADDITIONAL DISTN.

BOAT PEOPLE

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