TNAG-1069-FCO40-1319-Resettlement-of-Vietnamese-refugees-from-Hong-Kong-in-the-UK-1981 — Page 26

CODE 18,77

Mr McQuade

CONFIDENTIAL

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VIETNAMESE REFUGEES IN HONG KONG

You asked for a brief for the meeting on 18 December with Robert Boyer, Mr Chambers and Mr Smeeton.

1.

2.

The recent decision by the US to exclude from their Hong Kong refugee programme those without ties in the United States is likely to cause major problems in Hong Kong. The position is set out in Sir Philip Haddon-Cave's letter of 2 December to Mr Donald. Hong Kong Telegram Number 1122 of 14 December asked us to speak on Hong Kong's behalf to the US State DDpartment We have asked HM Embassy in Washington to do so.

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3. The question may arise of what the UK are doing now that the initial quota of 10,000 is fully limited. Hong Kong would like us to continue our offtake in order to encourage other countries, particularly the US, to continue theirs. At present, political and economic difficulties make a further quota very unlikely, but we are continuing to accept for resettlement those with relatives in the UK or rescued by UK-registered ships. The Position will be reviewed after the LPS returns from Hong Kong in January.

4. Some useful background information is contained in the draft answer and submission for Sir Anthony Royle's PQ of 16 December.

See (124

16 December 1981

C G Edgar

CONFIDENTIAL