TNAG-1068-FCO40-1318-Resettlement-of-Vietnamese-refugees-from-Hong-Kong-in-the-UK-1981 — Page 34

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布政司署

香港下亞厘

下亞厘畢道

CONFIDENTIAL

& Enter

60A

2 Cmy BEAD dove Rs 3/7

GOVERNMENT SECRETARIAT

LOWER ALBERT ROAD

HONG KONG

*** OUR REF.: (56) in CR 2/4821/75 XIII

*YOUR Ref.:

R D Clift Esq

Hong Kong and General Department Foreign and Commonwealth Office London SW1A 2AH

7.

22nd June 1981

noted Im

Bu 3 weeks??

Mas

7

нки 243/2

い

***** MO. 51

3 JUL 1981

DESK OFFICER

PA

REQSTRY Action Taken

INDEX

14028/7

No Ma247 Pro28/7.

T

Dear dish.

་

Vietnamese Refugees

53

Thank you for your letter of 29th May 1981 about the possible repatriation of Vietnamese refugees who refuse resettlement.

2.

I enclose a copy of a letter which Ian Orr has sent to Tonkin in Hanoi on this subject. We have now heard that Tonkin's reply is in the mail. When we get it we will be considering our next move, if any. certainly will not raise the subject with the UNHCR with- out consulting you.

3.

We

As far as the related steps we have taken are concerned, we have only just enacted the legislation which empowers us to detain persons who decline a reasonable offer of resettlement. It was interesting that between the date of publication of the draft legislation and its enactment, about 50 refugees who had previously refused offers of resettlement came forward and withdrew their objections! It seems therefore as if the existence

of the legislation will have a salutary effect upon refugees who in the past have been rather choosy. If this is so then we shall have overcome the problem. Time will tell.

CONFIDENTIAL

noted pay 7.7

3|7

BU & e fenk

دبي همه

1.