CONFIDENTIAL
cover the proposal in paragraph (B), that HMG be asked to accept
500 hard-to-settle refugees. The SCORRI recommendation about this
category of refugees was that "if necessary, and as part of a burden
sharing agreement, Britain should accept a small share of those who
are hard to resettle and have spent years in camps". No figure was
suggested in the report. While there can be no doubt that
acceptance by HMG of the 500 proposed by EXCO would be favourably received by other resettlement countries, I do not think that we
can put this to the Home Office at this stage. Tactically we now
work
need to wait for Home Office acceptance of the proposals we have already made. To add to them now would be counter-productive. We
could however suggest at a Later stage if the Home Office agree to
a quota that they should look at some of the hard cases as part of
the quota.
THAT HMG SHOULD ACCEPT UNHCR'S OFFER TO HELP PERSUADE OTHER
RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES TO INCREASE THEIR OFFTAKE FROM HONG KONG
(PARAGRAPH (D))
6. We agree with this. This is one of the subjects that Mr
Hartling wishes to discuss with Mr Luce on 5 June, and we shall include it in our briefing for the meeting.
CLOSED CENTRE POLICY (PARAGRAPH (E))
7. We have completed a first draft of a passage on closed camps inclusion in the Home Office White Paper replying to SCORRI. I t
been sent to Hong Kong for comments. We shall expand it in the light of this paragraph. The HKG's proposal to look at possible
ways of making the centres "more tolerable" is encouraging.
for
has
EDUCATION AND TRAINING (PARAGRAPH (F)) AND ABSORPTION OF RE FUGEES BY
HONG KONG (PARAGRAPH (G))
8. We have asked the Hong Kong Government for their views as to how
we should reply to SCORRI on these points. On the second, Hong Kong's response will depend very much on what the Home Office are
prepared to do.
TIMING OF HMG'S RESPONSE TO PARLIAMENT
9. Not surprisingly the Home Office have now confirmed that they
will not be in a position to reply to SCORRI within the standard
CONFIDENTIAL
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