TNAG-1180-FCO40-1482-Resettlement-of-Vietnamese-refugees-from-Hong-Kong-into-the--1982 — Page 108

243/332/1

A J Cambridge Esq

MVD

FCO

London.

British Embassy MANILA

2 April 1982

нак 243/1

VIETNAMESE REFUGEES: M V HUPER

C4€

No

28/4 Ap2 14.

See (6

1. You will recall that in July 1980, the Hong Kong registered vessel MV Hupeh picked up 115 Vietnamese refugees in distress at sea, and disembarked them in the Philippines against our undertaking that any remaining unaccepted for resettlement "within a reasonable period" would be transferred to Hong Kong "to pursue their resettlement opportunities".

2. I enclose a copy of a letter my Ambassador has recently received from the local UNHCR office, pointing out that of the original 115 refugees, 15 are still in the Philippines, having received no offers of resettlement from other countries.

We are asked about the possibility of our accepting these fifteen for settlement either in Hong Kong or in the United Kingdom.

are

I

These people have now been in a refugee camp in the Philippines for nearly two years, and have clearly exhausted the possibilities of acceptance elsewhere. We are well aware of the difficulties faced in Hong Kong by the number of "hard- core" refugees who also remain unaccepted after a similar period, with little or no prospect of onward movement. theless, there is no likelihood that the residue of the Hupeh group will be permitted to remain in the Philippines indefinitely, and the Philippine authorities will naturally look to us to honour our "guarantee"

4.

Never-

I should be grateful therefore if Margolis in Hong Kong. to whom I am

then let us ; ferving this letter, could comment and if you could

then let us have instructions as to how we should reply to UNHCR.

1 M Dowse

2. Margolie Esq, Asst. Polad, Fong Kong

GEAD, FOO

HK & GD, FCO