TNAG-1421-FCO40-1904-Hong-Kong-Parliamentary-Sub-Committee-on-Race-Relations-and--1985 — Page 144

207

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PP HOKON

FM FCOLN TO HOKON

221530Z OCT

GRS169

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FM FCO

TO PRIORITY HONG KONG

TELNO 1623

OF 221530Z OCTOBER 85

330

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-

243/2

MKK 24y

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY

22 OCT 1965

DESK OFFICER INDEX

AUGUSTBY

PA

Action Taken

FOLLOWING TELEGRAM NOW REPEATED TO YOU AT REQUEST OF DEPT

WAS RECEIVED FROM REYKJAVIK TELNO 81 OF 10/10

279.

BEGINS

YOUR TELNO 507 TO BONN: VIETNAMESE REFUGEES IN HONG KONG.

1. I SPOKE TO THE ACTING SECRETARY GENERAL OF THE MFA ON

3 OCTOBER. EGILSSON TOOK NOTE AND UNDERTOOK TO PRESS THE

APPROPRIATE ORGANISATIONS, MAINLY THE ICELANDIC RED CROSS,

TO HELP.

2. EGILSSON SAID THAT ICELAND HAD ACCEPTED 34 VIETNAMESE IN

1979 AND 19 SINCE THEN. FORTY OF THESE 53, NONE OF WHOM HAD COME FROM HONG KONG, WERE STILL IN ICELAND, THE OTHERS HAVING EITHER MOVED ON TO CANADA OR THE USA, OR DIED.

3. FIFTY THREE REFUGEES IN A COUNTRY WITH A POPULATION OF

240,000 IS NOT A BAD EFFORT, GIVEN BOTH THE ABSENCE OF ANY

TRADITION OF IMMIGRATION AND THE CLIMATIC PROBLEMS. BUT IT

IS STILL PROPORTIONALLY ONLY TWO THIRDS THE UK CONTRIBUTION AND

THE ICELANDERS REALISE THAT THEY COULD PROBABLY TRY A LITTLE

HARDER

ENDS

HOWE

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