CO GOP HONG KONG
GR 415
CONFIDENTIAL
FM FCO 25161OZ MAR 81
Ник 243зіг Accavio ****y NO. 51
INDEX
No
31 MAR 1981
{[0.31/3/
TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG
TELNO.294 OF 25 MARCH.
40
See
FOLLOWING FROM HONG KONG GOVT OFFICE LONDON.
FOR DAVIES FROM FORD.
VIETNAMESE REFUGEES.
то
Copret to Seco
3113
1. 1 HAVE TAKEN FURTHER WITH OCKENDEN VENTURE THE POSSIBILITY OF A PROGRAMME OF SPONSORED V.R.S WHICH WOULD START WHEN THE
PRESENT QUOTA RUNS OUT.
2. ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS WOULD INCLUDE (A) FINANCIAL SUPPORT FROM
US TOWARDS THE EXPENSES OF RUNNING ONE MEDIUM SIZED OR
SEVERAL SMALL RECEPTION CENTRES. THIS WOULD NOT EXCEED £200,000 (£200,000) PER YEAR: (B) HOME OFFICE AGREEMENT TO
PAYING THE REFUGEES SUPPLEMENTARY BENEFITS WHILST THEY ARE
IN RECEPTION CENTRES AS AT PRESENT: (C) THE AVAILABILITY OF HOUSING.
3. ON THE FINAL POINT OCKENDEN HAVE LAUNCHED A SCHEME TO FROVIDE PRIVATELY SPONSORED HOUSING FOR REFUGEES. THE INITIAL
RESPONSE IS ENCOURAGING BUT OBVIOUSLY THE NUMBER OF UNITS
WHICH COULD BE PROVIDED IN THIS WAY WOULD BE LIMITED. THERE
IS, HOWEVER, SOME LOCAL AUTHORITY HOUSING AVAILABLE. OUR
JUDGEMENT IS THAT WE ONLY STAND A CHANCE OF OBTAINING HOME
OFFICE AGREEMENT IF WE LIMIT THE NUMBER OF REFUGEES UNDER THE
SCHEME TO THE HOUSING AVAILABLE EITHER PRIVATE OR PUBLIC. OUR BEST ESTIMATE OF THIS IS ABOUT ONE HUNDRED REFUGEES PER MONTH. ON THIS BASIS IT MAY BE POSSIBLE TO PERSUADE THE HOME OFFICE TO CONTINUE PAYING SUPPLEMENTARY BENEFITS.
4. THE RADIO INTERVIEW WHICH WAS BROADCAST ON THE BBC 'TODAY' PROGRAMME HAS CERTAINLY CREATED DIFFICULTIES IN THAT WORD IS SPREADING FAST IN THE HOME OFFICE AND AMONGST THE AGENCIES THAT THERE ARE NO LONGER ANY REFUGEES IN HONG KONG WHO WISH TO COME TO BRITAIN. I HAVE IMPRESSED UPON OCKENDEN THE NEED TO ESTABLISH A PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE IN HONG KONG IF WE WERE TO GET AGREEMENT FOR THE SPONSORSHIP PROPOSAL.
5. I HAVE DISCUSSED THE QUESTION OF TACTICS WITH DICK CLIFT
AND WE BOTH FEEL THAT THE APPROACH TO THE HOME OFFICE SHOULD
BE MADE AFTER LORD CARRINGTON RETURNS FROM HONG KONG. FIRSTLY
BECAUSE THE SUBJECT IS BEING DEALTH WITH BY WOODFIELD WHO ALSO
DEALS WITH THE NATIONALITY BILL AND, SECONDLY, WE WILL NEED
LORD CARRINGTON'S PERSONAL INTERVENTION WITH THE HOME SECRETARY
TO PERSUADE HOME OFFICE OFFICIALS TO SERIOUSLY CONSIDER THE
PROPOSAL.
6. I ASSUME THIS SUBJECT WILL BE RAISED WITH LORD CARRINGTON
WHILST HE IS IN HONG KONG AND I THEREFORE THOUGHT YOU WOULD WISH TO KNOW THE LATEST POSITION AT THIS END.
ENDS
CARRINGTON
2-3
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