TNAG-1421-FCO40-1904-Hong-Kong-Parliamentary-Sub-Committee-on-Race-Relations-and--1985 — Page 6

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Foreign and Commonwealth Office

London SW1A 2AH

på SCORRI

ра

Miss D J Walker

UKMIS GENEVA

Dear Selin,

Telephone 01- 233-3149

Your reference

Our reference

Date

19 November 1985

MKC 243/2

REC.

~D IN REG..TRY

2 1 NOV1985

DESK OFFICER

INDEX

PA

REGISTRY

399

VIETNAMESE REFUGEES: TRAVEL COSTS FOR UK FAMILY REUNION CASES

388

1.

Please refer to FCO telegram number 1772 to Hong Kong.

Action Taken

2. I enclose a copy of the letter from Dr von Arnim to Mr Rawsthorne at the Home Office, dated 8 October, in which UNHCR first put to us their request that HMG should meet the travel costs of the 500 or so refugees in Hong Kong which we have announced in our response to the SCORRI report that we would resettle.

3. The latest indications from Hong Kong (Hong Kong telegram number 2479) are that UNHCR will probably not now seek reimbursement by HMG of the travel costs of the first 21 refugees who will be leaving before the end of the month. It may be that, now that we have made known our reluctance to pay the costs of any of the 500, UNHCR will let the matter drop. However, given the current state of their finances, they may well return to the charge. We would look to the Home Office to provide funds to cover the costs (estimated by Dr von Arnim at about US$ 300,000) if it is decided that HMG should meet them. The ODA understandably do not regard these travel costs as a form of development assistance and are therefore not in a position to provide funds from the aid budget. Nor are the Diplomatic Wing or the Hong Kong Government in a position to pay.

4. It will of course be somewhat embarrassing if, when we have completed our interdepartmental consideration of this question, we have to confirm to UNHCR that HMG will not pay these expenses. It would be particularly unfortunate if UNHCR, unable to meet the cost from General Programme funds, launched an international Special Appeal to raise money for this purpose. UNHCR have been helpful to us in our diplomatic initiative to encourage other countries to accept refugees from Hong Kong. Despite UNHCR's financial crisis we shall not be making any additional unearmarked contributions to UNHCR's General Programmes in UNHCR's current financial year. Nor have we announced a significant increase in our unearmarked contributions to the General Programmes for the new financial year (1986).

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