1
Y
X
(IV) FLATIN MADE IT VERY CLEAR THAT IT WOULD NOT BE EASY TO GET ANY EXCEPTIONS THROUGH THE INS AND CONGRESS. THE ARGUMENT MIGHT
WELL TURN ON WHETHER THE UK ITSELF WAS JUDGED BY THOSE CONCERNED
TO DE DOING ITS BIT FOR ITS OWN COLONY. AT THE MOMENT IT SEEMED
WE WERE ONLY TAKING FAMILY REUNIFICATION CASES AND PEOPLE
PICKED UP BY UK VESSELS. I SAID THAT OVERALL WE HAD TAKEN OVER 16,000 INDO-CHINESE REFUGEES, MAINLY FROM HONG KONG, AND REFERRED TO OUR INTAKE FROM POLAND AND ELSEWHERE, AS WELL AS
OUR HEAVY LONG-TERM INMIGRATION COMMITMENTS FROM THE COMMON- WEALTH. FLATIN PRODUCED TWO TABLES (COPIES BY BAG) OF
(1) TOTAL REFUGEE AND
(11) INDO-CHINESE REFUGEE SETTLMENT BY COUNTRY ON A PER
CAPITA BASIS, SHOWING THE UK FIFTEENTH AND THIRTEENTH RESPECTIVELY, IN 50TH CASES BEHIND AUSTRALIA, CANADA, NEW ZEALAND AND SEVERAL OF THE EUROPEANS. HE SAID IT WOULD BE USEFUL TO THEM IF WE COULD PROVIDE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, CURRENT
FIGURES OF
(A) TOTAL REFUGEE SETTLEMENTS IN THE UK AND
(B) OTHER IMMIGRATION INTO THE UK OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS. THEY SAID THAT IN ARGUING FOR ANY SPECIAL HELP FOR HONG KONG THEY
WOULD BE PREPARED TO PRESENT THE UK'S RECORD (WHICH WAS NOT A
BAD ONE) IN THE ROUND, BUT THAT IT WOULD GREATLY STRENGTHEN
THE CASE IF THE UNITED KINGDOM AND OTHER EUROPEANS WERE TO TAKE SOME FROM HONG KONG THEMSELVES.
3. FLATIN ASKED IF WE WERE ALREADY APPROACHING OTHER COUNTRIES OURSELVES. I READ OUT THE LIST OF ADDRESSES OF YOUR TELNO 1065. HE COMMENTED THAT THE SWEDES, WHOM WE HAD APPARENTLY NOT APPROACHED, APPEARED TO BE WILLING TO TAKE SOME CHINESE REFUGEES, AND SUGGESTED THAT WE TAKE THIS UP.
SIGNED S J GOMERSALL
HEAD REGISTRY PSE PARE COPIER TO SEAD, NAD
NNNN
done
Af
AF15710.
AND UND
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