TNAG-1275-FCO40-1625-Resettlement-of-Vietnamese-refugees-from-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 117

FCO40 Hong Kong Department Records 聯邦事務部香港部檔案 All

HOFO 017/26

T/L DUBLAT

T/L FCO

T/L UKMĖS GENEVA

T/L HONGAID

GR 200

RESTRICTED

TELELETTER

#kx 243/2

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY

22 APR (33

DESK OFFICER INDEX

FROM R.P. MARGOLIS, HONG KONG

FILE REF: SCR 13/581/79 IV

FOLLOWING FOR : TAIN ORR, DUBLIN

COPIED TO :

PA

REGIST

1 AF2714

0571/26

I.ce. SEAD RIDA UND

2.

ра

Ar 2914

HKK 243/2.

XJ 244

DATED : 26 APRIL 1983

FCO (AKCIE PSE PASS. TO RELEVANT LEPT

UKMIS GENEVA

HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON

RESETTLEMENT OF VRS

1. OUR REFUGEE PROBLEMS CONTINUE TO TROUBLE US AND IN THE LIGHT OF CURRENT TRENDS WORRY US MORE THAN EVER. ARRIVAL PATTERN SINCE 1980 HAS BEEN STABLE AT AROUND 7,000 A YEAR. BUT RESETTLEMENT HAS FALLEN DRAMATICALLY, BY ABOUT 90 PER CENT DURING 1982. ABOUT 250 NOW LEAVE PER MONTH, AND THIS RATE CURRENT VR POPULATION OF 12,500 WILL BE NEARLY 18,000 BY END 1983. WE ALREADY HAVE HIGHEST VR BOAT POPULATION IN REGION (31% OF THE TOTAL). OF OUR CURRENT 12,500 CASELOAD 32% HAVE BEEN HERE OVER 3 YEARS.

2. AGAINST THIS BACKGROUND, WE ARE EVER ON THE LOOKOUT FOR POSSIBLE ALTERNATIVE AREAS FOR RESETTLING VRS. ONE POSSIBILITY SEEMS TO BE EIRE, WHICH TOOK 109 FROM US AND 1979 AND VIRTUALLY NONE SINCE. DESPITE INITIAL PROBLEMS IN GETTING VRS TO GO, WE UNDERSTAND THEY ARE NOW VERY WELL INTEGRATED THERE.

3. GRATEFUL FOR YOUR ASSESSMENT OF WHETHER AN APPROACH TO THE

IRISH AUTHORITIES NOW, EITHER FORMALLY OR INFORMALLY, WOULD SERVE ANY USEFUL PURPOSE (KARL STUMPF, WHO IS AS YOU MUST KNOW AN ENTHUSIASTIC CAMPAIGNER FOR VR RESETTLEMENT, WOULD BE KEEN TO DISCUSS THE POSSIBILITIES WITH IRISH OFFICIALS).

SIGNED : R.P. MARGOLIS

56

NNNN

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