TNAG-1419-FCO40-1902-Hong-Kong-Parliamentary-Sub-Committee-on-Race-Relations-and--1985 — Page 185

[CJIADZ]

FROM:

W G Ehrman

APS/Mr Luce

MCK 243/2 DATE:

22 August 1985

T

185

Cc:

Sir W Harding

A 1.

39

B

42

liie

153

EVENTS IN AUGUST

A.

VIETNAMESE REFUGEES: SCORRI REPORT

Mr Ricketts wrote to PS/Mr Brittan on

Brittan on 5 August proposing

form of words for the reply to SCORRI recommendation 5(i)

(which recommends that the UK accept for resettlement from

Hong Kong a small number of

hard-to-resettle category over

cases).

Vietnamese refugees from the

and above the family reunion

The Home Office responded on 14 August with

counter-draft. This differs in three respects from that proposed

in Mr Ricketts'

letter:

(a)

the commitment is we aker ("HMG are

(b)

(c)

2.

in principle

to

prepared to resettle" has been altered to "are prepared consider accepting");

it is less specific on

which refugees might be accepted.

making no mention of the hard-to-resettle cases (although this is not necessarily a disadvantage: it would be better if the Home Office took a few easy-to-resettle refugees than

no hard-to-resettle cases);

the commitment, such as it is, is less continuing than

proposed (there is now reference to "a decision", implying single action).

While this is disappointing, it is in no way unexpected The Home Office have at least moved from the position which the

maintained for several months that they would not even consida.

accepting any refugees other than the family reunion cases doubt if we shall be able to get a better formula now.