TNAG-1420-FCO40-1903-Hong-Kong-Parliamentary-Sub-Committee-on-Race-Relations-and--1985 — Page 35

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JM

HOME OFFICE

Lunar House Wellesley Road Croydon CR9 2BY

Telegram Immnat Croydon

Telephone 01-760-2648

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Ms O Walker

Hong Kong Department

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

King Charles Street

LONDON

SW 1

Dear Obrian

VIETNAMESE FAMILY REUNION CASES

1.

Please reply to The Under Secretary of State

Your reference

Our reference

IMG/85

Date

58/1026/14

4 October 1985

You will not need reminding of the considerable number of occasions during recent weeks that you and I have discussed particular aspects of the Government's reply to the SCORRI report on refugee matters. One of the latest occasions concerned the Hong Kong Government's wish to present the commitment to admit certain family reunion cases from South East Asia as a monthly rate, and their offer to undertake screening and documentation on our behalf.

2. In your reply to Hong Kong, the text of which we spoke about, you indicated that we would accept Hong Kong's valuable offer and that we would be in touch to establish the actual mechanics of the arrangement. You will see from the attached copies of correspondence that we have devised the outlines of the procedures which the Home Office, the British Refugee Council, and UNHCR feel will enable us to meet Britain's new commitment to Hong Kong.

3. HKD and HKG represent essential links in the chain. Our judgement is that you might make HKG aware of these outline procedures, so that they can be completely certain about how the programme will be administered and can appreciate the points at which their valuable contribution will be made. It would help us if HKG could indicate, in a similarly schematic and brief way, what steps they will be taking to meet their undertaking to help. The Home Office will, of course, be ready to

provide assistance and information should it be required.

4. You will see from my letter to BRC that I hope to be able to send you copies of the information currently in our hands. This will provide HKG with an advance indication of the people whose cases they can expect to be asked to process.

I will remain in touch, and I am writing separately to Mr Nash in SEAD about the non-Hong Kong cases to which the SCORRI commitment applies. Y

S C WELLS

B1 Division

HKKQ4312

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY

10 OCT 1985

DESK OFFICER

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