TNAG-1186-FCO40-1488-Statistics-on-refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-1982 — Page 32

Enter (VR stats)

opa.

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BY FAX

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Hick24311

Commissioner, London Office

(55)

VR/HK

CC

01-499 9821 ext 60

270

16 November 1982

Secretary for Security

(for Mr C Leeks)

Mr Tom Smith FCO/HKGD (w/o enc

Thanks Four.

VRS in Hong Kong

HKK 243/2.

AF"1"

Tom Smith, new colleague in FCO/HKCD with responsibilities for VR matters, has kindly given me an extract from a US Congressional Paper apparently to do with their recent review

of policy on VRS. A copy of this is now forwarded for your reference.

2.

Tom has raised questions about two figures, 113,000 in para 2 and 5,000 in para 3.

3. FCO figures for VR arrivals in Hong Kong from 1975 to March 1982 total 97,042, including the 15,000 or so settled in Hong Kong prior to 1979. Even allowing for the thousands arriving since March to date, there would seem to be a discrepancy between the FCO total and that in the Congressional Paper.

4. I suggested that perhaps the FCO figures do not take account of ex-China cases. Will you please look into this

and advise?

5. As for the "5,000... to enter Bong Kong by air flights", I think this would be a reference to a series of orderly departures arranged in the earlier days. I would appreciate your confirmation of this as well.

6.

Many thanks.

HCPLY/jf Encl

бович

Helen CP Lai Yu for Commissioner