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CONFIDENTIAL
FM UKNIS GENEVA
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELNO 341
OF 1014372 SEPTEMBER 35
INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG
YOUR TELNO 213: VIETNAMESE REFUGEES/SCORRI: REPORT
1. DURING JEAFFRESON'S VISIT TO GENEVA ON 12 AND 13 SEPTEMBER WE CONSIDERED WITH HIM AND UNHCR HOW TO HANDLE A DIPLOMATIC INITIATWE FOLLOWING THE ISSUE OF THE GOVERNMENT REACTION TO THE SCORRI REPORT. JEAFFRESON HAD SEPARATE MEETINGS HERE WITH HIGH COMMISSIONER, THE DEPUTY HIGH COMMISSIO.ER AND THE DIRECTOR OF ASSISTANCE.
2. UNHCR VIEW IS THAT A POSITIVE UK RESPONSE TO THE SCORR! REPORT (EG 500 FAMILY REUNIFICATION CASES) WOULD UNDOUBTEDLY HAVE A GOOD EFFECT ON OTHER RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES. ON THAT ASSUMPTION, HARTLING SAID UNHCR WOULD DO ALL THEY COULD TO OBTAIN ADDITIONAL PLACES FROM OTHER COUNTRIES FOLLOWING THE ANNOUNCEMENT. HE BELIEVED THE MAIN RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES (US, CANADA AND AUSTRALIA) WOULD RESPOND POSITIVELY BUT SUGGESTED THAT THE UK SHOULD ALSO CAMPAIGN HARD WITH PARTNERS IN THE TWELVE, IN NON-EC COUNTRIES IN EUROPE AND IN NEW ZEALAND.
3. HARTLING, WHEN ASKED, THOUGHT THERE WAS NO MILEAGE IN PURSUING LATIN AMERICAN, AFRICAN OR OTHER ASIAN COUNTRIES TO TAKE REFUGEES FROM HONG KONG. ATTEMPTS TO PLACE LAOTIANS IN LATIN AMERICA HAD PROVED DISASTROUS. MOST AF ICAN COUNTRIES ALREADY HAD REFUGEE PRCOLEWS AND COUNTRIE. IN ASIA WEPE RELUCTANT TO ACCEPT VIETNAMESE.
4. WE TOLD THE HIGH COMMISSIONER THAT WE ENVISAGED SIMULTANEOUS APPROACHES TO POTENTIAL RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES FROM HMG, HONG KONG AND UNHCR. THE HIGH COMMISSIONER AGREED TO LIAISE WITH US ON THIS AND SAW THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE IN OCTOBER AS A USEFUL PLATFORM.
COMMENT
3. WE LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING THE EXACT TERMS OF HYG'S RESPONSE TO SCORR! AND WHETHER YOU WOULD WISH US TO APPROACH APPROPRIATE "ISSIONS HERE IMMEDIATELY THEREAFTER. WE WILL ALSO ENCOURAGE UNHCR TO LIVE UP TO THEIR UNDERTAKING.
6. WE AGREE WITH YOUR SUGGESTION (TUR PARA S) THAT THE SUBJECT SHOULD BE RAISED IN COMMONWEALTH MEETINGS. WE ASSUME YOU WILL ALSO DE RAISING IT IN POCO.
WARBURTON
LIMITED HKD SEAD UND
MR WILSON
MKK 243/2
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY
17 SEP 1985
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