TNAG-1420-FCO40-1903-Hong-Kong-Parliamentary-Sub-Committee-on-Race-Relations-and--1985 — Page 25

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ZCZC

WCLNAN 0479

CONFIDENTIAL

TT FCOLN

TT GEMIS

TT OTTAW

$286

TT CANBE

TT WASHI

FM WELLI TO FCOLN

0904072 OCT

GRS 300

CONFIDENTIAL

FM WELLINGTON

TO TELELETTER FCO

TELELETTER 014/25

OF 090407Z OCTOBER 85

!

нин 243

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY

110CT 1985

DESK OFFICER INDEX

PA

V

REGATRY

INFO TELELETTER UKMIS GENEVA, OTTAWA, CANBERRA, WASHINGTON

FROM:

T D O'LEARY, WELLINGTON

FOLLOWIN

FOR:

210

A.E. FURNESS, SPD, FCO

FCO TEL 193 OF 23 SEPTIMBER:

SCORRI REPORT.

VIETNAMESE REFUGEES IN HONG KONC;

I TOOK ACTION PY LETTER ON 27 SEPTEMBER TO NOPPISH, SECRETARY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS. TODAY HE HANDED ME THE FOLLOWING REPLY.

QUOTE THANK YOU FOR YOUR LETTER OF 27 SEPTEMBER INFORMING ME OF

THE RECENTLY PUBLISHED BRITISH GOVERNMENT'S WHITE PAPER ENTITLED

QUOTE REFUGEES AND ASYLUM WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO THE

VIETNAMESE UNQUOTE. IT WAS PARTICULARLY HEARTENING TO LEARN OF

YOUR GOVERNMENT'S DECISION TO RESETTLE A FURTHER FIVE HUNDRED VIETNAMESE REFUGEES FROM HONG KONG. THIS DECISION WILL,

FEEL SURE, GO SOME WAY TO ALLEVIATING THE PLIGHT OF REFUGEES IN

HONG KONG AND WILL SET AN EXAMPLE FOR OTHER RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES

TO FOLLOW.

WITH REGARD TO YOUR GOVERNMENT'S APPROACH FOR NEW ZEALAND'S

ASSISTANCE WITH THE RESETTLEMENT OF VIETNAMESE REFUGEES IN HONG

KONG, YOU MAY BE AWARE THAT WHEN THE NEW ZEALAND CABINET APPROVED

THE 1985/86 INDO-CHINESE REFUGEE PROGRAMME IT AGREED TO WIDEN

FAMILY REUNIFICATION CRITERIA CONSIDERABLY, A REQUEST FOR AN

ADDITIONAL QUOTA OF PLACES FOR PEGISTERED REFUGEES WITH NO RELATIVES

IN THIRD COUNTRIES AND WHO HAD BEEN IN REFUGEE CAMPS IN EXCESS OF

FIVE YEARS WAS HOWEVER DEFERRED.

!

WE ARE NOW RE-EXAMINING THIS QUESTION AND THE APPROPRIATE

AUTHORITIES ARE CURRENTLY LOOKING AT THE POSSIBILITY OF APPROVING

AN ADDITIONAL SEVENTY PLACES TO BE UTILISED BETWEEN FEBRUARY

JUNE 1986 TO CATER FOR CASES SUCH AS THOSE DESCRIBED AROVE. THE

BULK OF THESE ARE LIKELY TO GO TO FAMILY GROUPS WITH YOUNG CHILDREN

WHO HAVE KNOWN NOTHING BUT LIFE IN THE CAMPS. CONSIDERATION MAY

ALSO HOWEVER BE GIVEN TO REQUESTS FROM THE GOVERNMENTS OF A

NUMBER OF SOUTH EAST ASIAN COUNTRIES AND HONG KONG FOR ASSISTANCE

WITH LONG-TERM REFUGEE CASES. SHOULD APPROVAL FOR THESE ADDITIONAL

PLACES RE FORTHCOMING, IT MIGHT BE POSSIBLE TO SECURE A SMALL ONE-

OFF ALLOCATION OF PLACES FOR REFUGEES FROM HONG KONG.

I SHOULD BE GRATEFUL IF YOU WOULD CONVEY THIS INFORMATION TO YOUR

GOVERNMENT UNQUOTE.

SIGNED T D O'LEARY

YYYY

SPD REGISTRY PSE PASS TO HKGO LONDON

WASHINGTON EMBASSY PSE PASS TO HKGO WASHINGTON

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