TNAG-1069-FCO40-1319-Resettlement-of-Vietnamese-refugees-from-Hong-Kong-in-the-UK-1981 — Page 85

84

CONFIDENTIAL The Williamson $19.10

Enter & sutarit i) obs

GOVERNMENT SECRETARIAT

LOWER ALBERT ROAD

HONG KONG

S&

布政司署

香港下亞

畢道

*** Our Ref.: (16) in CR 56/4821/79 V

16/10

*YOUR Ref.:

R. D. Clift, Esq.

Hong Kong and General Department

Foreign and Commonwealth Office London SW1A 2AH

ENGLAND

9th October, 1981

Hkie 243/2

70.

RECOND NA REMARY NO. 5) 19 OCT 1981

ROSTRY Action Taken

BU

бе

Seer ande

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79

DESK OFFICER

INDEX

PA

No

сае

18/11

Pins 2317

10/1 noted pas

idu

See194

VIETNAMESE REFUGEES

One is how to

We have two Vietnam refugee problems to deal with. arrange a continuing trickle of resettlement in the UK (your letter of

11 September to the Governor); the other is ship rescues (your teleletter of 29 September to me),

Continuing resettlement

Sza

HKK243/

1982

רון

127

2. We are agreed that somehow we must try to ensure a small but continuing programme of resettlement in the UK. This is important locally to show that the UK backs the Hong Kong Government's policy on dealing with Vietnam refugees. It is equally important internationally as part of the effort to persuade others, notably the Americans and Canadians, to keep their programmes going. With a small but continuing inflow, we will have serious difficulties locally if we cannot demonstrate that resettlement is continuing at a greater rate than arrivals. Our problem in this respect has been compounded by a recent decision from Washington that the monthly quota going to the US in October, November and December will be reduced to 200 - an 80% reduction-and may not revert to about 1, 000 a month until the New Year a disquieting development which we will be pursuing

separately.

3.

-

The question is how to achieve the continuing trickle to the UK, say 20 or 30 per month. The draft enclosed with your letter of 11 September implies that Hong Kong will arrange to buy resettlement places in the UK. I am afraid that is not going to work. Apart from the fact that we have doubts about the principle involved we simply could not persuade Unofficials to vote funds for such a scheme. Nor could we explain it to others (e.g. Canadians and Americans) who have their own sponsorship scheme but do not ask others to contribute.

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CONFIDENTIAL

/4.