TNAG-1420-FCO40-1903-Hong-Kong-Parliamentary-Sub-Committee-on-Race-Relations-and--1985 — Page 31

28404 28404

HKGOVT G#

HKGOVT Ggr

28404 HKGOVT G MEMO-TELEX CH

MKK 243/2

RECEIVED IN REGISTHY

28880 HKGV CH

9 OCTOBER 1985

GTR 128

1287)

10 OCT 1985

DESK DELISTA

IF

PA (Score)

INDEX

IMMEDIATE FOR JEAFFRESON (S FOR S) FROM WOODHOUSE IN GENEVA (RPTD LON (COPY FOR LEEKS IN FCO PLEASE), BRU, WAS, NY) (C.C. ADAMS IN UKMIS GENEVA)

EXCOM DISCUSSIONS: AUSTRALIANS

I MET THREE MEMBERS OF THE AUSTRALIAN DELEGATION TO DISCUSS OUR POSITION. WE MET THIS MORNING TO ALLOW US TO SEND REPORTS TO HONG KONG BEFORE YOUR MEETING WITH THE MINISTER TOMORROW. I MET TUONG QUANG LUN, ASSISTANT SECRETARY AND EVAN ARTHUR, ACTING DIRECTOR OF POLICY AND PROJECTS FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF IMMIGRATION AND ETHNIC AFFAIRS IN CANBERRA. PETER HUGHES THEIR REGIONAL DIRECTOR FROM ROME WAS ALSO PRESENT.

2.

I EXPLAINED THAT WE WERE PARTICIPATING IN AN INTERNATIONAL EFFORT TO STIMULATE MORE RESETTLEMENT FROM HON KONG. I SAID THAT WE HAD MET HORNE AND ROMSAY IN HONG KONG AND HMG HAD MADE DIRECT APPROACHES IN CANBERRA.

3.

THEY REPLIED THAT THE QUOTA FOR 1985-86 HAD BEEN FIXED AT 6,000 (DOWN FROM 8,000 LAST YEAR BECAUSE THAILAND DIDN'T PRODUCE AS MANY AS EXPECTED). THEY SAID THAT THE UK REQUEST WAS BEING GIVEN VERY SERIOUS CONSIDERATION IN CANBERRA (AND IT IS POSSIBLE THAT THE MINISTER MAY SAY SOMETHING TO YOU. IF HE DOES, GRATEFUL TO KNOW WHAT). THEY EXPLAINED THAT THE 6,000 CEILING FOR 1985-86 COULD ONLY BE CHANGED WITH CONSIDERABLE DIFFICULTY. THEY THOUGHT IT UNLIKELY THAT THE TOTAL WOULD, IN PRACTICE, CHANGE BUT AGREED WITH MY SUGGESTION THAT THERE WAS NOTHING IN PRINCIPLE AGAINST A CHANGE IN THE ALLOCATION WITHIN THIS TOTAL. I ASKED WHETHER THEY COULD CONSIDER A RE-ALLOCATION IN FEBRUARY, MARCH OR APRIL (THEIR REFUGEE YEAR RUNS FROM 1 JULY TO 30 JUNE} IF THE VARIOUS TARGETS FOR COUNTRIES IN THE REGION WERE NOT

(NOT) BEING MET. THEY AGREED THAT THIS WOULD BE POSSIBLE.

4.

THEY ASKED WHETHER OTHER COUNTRIES, PARTICULARLY THE SMALLER EUROPEAN NATIONS, WERE BEING APPROACHED. I SAID THAT THEY WERE AND THAT THE RESPONSE HAD BEEN ENCOURAGING (I WAS THINKING OF FINLAND AND NORWAY, BUT DID NOT SPECIFY TO THEM).

5,

THE AUSTRALIANS FEEL THAT UK SHOULD NOT (NOT) BE MAKING SUCH AN ISSUE OF WHAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN DONE LONG AGO AND WHAT IS A SMALL NUMBER ANYWAY. THEY WERE CRITICAL OF THE FACT THAT FUTURE FAMILY REUNION CASES IN HONG KONG WOULD NOT (NOT) QUALIFY. I SAID THAT THIS WAS A MATTER FOR THE FUTURE AND EMPHASISES THAT THE GESTURE WAS A POSITIVE SIGN OF HMG'S WILLING- NESS TO HELP BY REMOVING WHAT HITHERTO HAD BEEN AN OBSTACLE. THEY SEEMED TO BE HAPPY WITH THIS RESPONSE.

I SPECIFICALLY ASKED WHETHER THEIR HONG KONG OFFTAKE COULD BE INCREASED FROM ITS PRESENT 40 A MONTH TO 50 (WHICH IT WAS PRIOR TO 1 JULY). THEY SAID THAT THIS WAS A MATTER FOR THE MINISTER BUT I SUGGEST THAT YOU PRESS HIM ON THIS.

ENDS