TNAG-1068-FCO40-1318-Resettlement-of-Vietnamese-refugees-from-Hong-Kong-in-the-UK-1981 — Page 117

26

منكم

GR 200

CONFIDENTIAL

CONFIDENTIAL

FM HONG KONG 271034Z MAR 81

TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON

TELEGRAM NUMBER 516 OF 27 MARCH

FOR FORD FROM HEYWOOD

YOUR TELNO 294 RECEIVED IN FCO SERIES

VIETNAMESE REFUGEEES

ник

HKIZ 243/2 RECEIVEC ૦ ૧ બવ 5

*APY

31 MAR 1981

DESK OCEA

INDEX

No/M

AER

PA

ACHON

31

Pas Bil?

copied to soras Pano 31/3

THE FOLLOWING POINTS MAY HELP IN MEETING THE DIFFICULTIES YOU FACE FOLLOWING THE BBC ''TODAY'' PROGRAMME AND THE POOR RESPONSE

TO THE LATEST VISIT OF THE U.K. SELECTION TEAM.

1. THERE HAVE BEEN VERY FEW ADDITIONAL REFUGEES SINCE THE TEAM'S

LAST VISIT IN SEPTEMBER WHO ARE NOT ALREADY BEING CONSIDERED FOR

RESETTLEMENT ELSEWHERE.

2. UNLIKE THE AMERICANS AND CANADIANS WHO HAVE A CONSTANT PRESENCE

HERE, THIS UK SELECTION TEAM COME ONLY PERIODICALLY AND IS NOT

ABLE TO MAINTAIN AN INTEREST IN UK RESETTLEMENT WITH THE REFUGEES.

3. MOST REFUGEES HAVE FRIENDS OR RELATIVES IN NORTH AMERICA AND

HOPE TO JOIN THEM. IN ANY CASE THE GENERAL PUBLICITY GIVEN TO

RESETTLEMENT IN THE USA NATURALLY ATTRACTS ALL COMERS. WE TRY TO

INJECT A BALANCE IN THIS PUBLICITY BUT NUMBERS ARE AGAINST US.

4. OVER FIVE HUNDRED WITHDREW FROM THE UK SELECTION LIST, AND A FURTHER ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTY FAILED TO SHOW FOR INTERVIEWS FOR

REASONS 2 AND 3 ABOVE. ALSO BECAUSE OF THE SLOW RATE OF OFFTAKE TO

THE UK. SOME HAVE WAITED PATIENTLY FOR TWO YEARS AND HAVE NATURALLY

GROWN IMPATIENT OR HAVE BECOME INTERESTED IN GOING ELSEWHERE.

5. THE GROWING ECONOMIC BACKGROUND TO RESETTLEMENT IN THE UK MAY

MAKE GOOD PRESS BUT IN FACT IT IS NOT A MAJOR REASON FOR A LACK OF

INTEREST.

MACLEHOSE

MINIMAL

HK & GD

COPIES TO

HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON

CONFIDENTIAL