TNAG-1422-FCO40-1905-Hong-Kong-Parliamentary-Sub-Committee-on-Race-Relations-and--1986 — Page 151

418

GRS 600

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FM HONG KONG

TO DESKBY 27090OZ FCO

TELNO 2649

OF 2707OOZ NOVEMBER 85

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-KK 24362 RECEIVED IN REGISTRY

27 NOV 1985

DESK OFFN

INDEX

INFO PRIORITY UKMIS GENEVA, WASHINGTON, OTTAWA, OSLO, HKGU GENEVA, INFO PRIROITY HKGO BRUSSLES, HKGO NEW YORK, HKGO WASHINGTON,

INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON.

Jon Taken

423

1

YOUR TELNO 1867 : VIETNAMESE REFUGEES.

THE AMERICAN OFFTAKE IS WITHIN THEIR OVERALL RESETTLEMENT QUOTA, WHICH AS FAR AS WE ARE AWARE, REMAINS UNCHANGED. THEY HAVE NOT

(NOT) YET TOLD US OF ANY INCREASE IN THEIR QUOTA FOR HONG KONG FOR

THIS YEAR OR NEXT YEAR. WHAT THEY HAVE DONE IS TO HELP BY

CONCENTRATING ON THE OPEN CENTRES TO ENABLE US TO CLOSE JUBILEE. WE

DO NOT (NOT) THINK THAT IT WOULD HELP IF WASHINGTON RAISED THIS

MATTER AND DREW ATTENTION TO ATTEMPTS BY THE USCG HERE TO MOVE

LONG STAYERS. (WE SUSPECT THAT THE USCG HERE IS OPERATING AT, OR BEYOND, THE LIMITS OF ITS REPONSIBILITY. PLEASE PROTECT. WE UNDERSTAND THAT THE US RESPONSE TO THE HMG INITIATIVE WILL

AWANT THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE QUOTE BLUE RIBBON PANEL UNQUOTE HEADED BY GOVERNOR ROBERT RAY. WE DO NOT (NOT) KNOW WHEN THESE

WILL BE FORTHCOMING.

2. THE CANADIAN 1986 QUOTA OF 650 WAS ANNOUNCED AT THE RESETTLEMENT MEETING. WE UNDERSTAND THAT THE DECISION HAD JUST BEEN TAKEN. AS WE

POINTED OUT, THIS IS 50 MORE THAN THE CANADIAN COMMITMENT LAST YEAR AND FORMS PART OF A REDUCED REGIONAL OFFTAKE. CANADIAN EFFORTS, DESCRIBED IN PARA 5 OF TELNO 2606, FOR THE OPEN CENTRES ARE WITHIN

THEIR 1985 QUOTA. WE UNDERSTAND THAT THE SIZE OF THE CANADIAN QUOTA IS BASED ON THE EXISTENCE OF OUR CLOSED CENTRES. THEREFORE, THEY HAVE LESS DISCRETION IN SELECTING FROM THE OPEN CENTRES.

CERTAINLY OTTAWA SHOULD BE THANKED FOR ITS HELP WITH THE OPEN CENTRES AND ITS DECISION TO INCREASE ITS OFFTAKE IN 1986.

3. THE NORWEGIAN REPRESENTATIVE ANNOUNCED THAT HE HAD BEEN

AUTHORISED TO SAY THAT NORWAY WOULD TAKE 100 FROM HONG KONG. HE

SAID THIS WHEN WE ASKED WHETHER THE REMAINING RESETTLEMENT

COUNTRIES (OTHER THAN CANADA, AUSTRALIA AND THE US) WOULD EACH BE

ABLE TO TAKE 50 TO HELP REDUCE THE OPEN CENTRE POPULATION. WE

AGREE THAT OSLO SHOULD SEEK CONFIRMATION. BUT IN VIEW OF LOGAN'S LETTER WE RECOMMEND CAUTION.

SUGGESTED LINE TO TAKE.

4. IF IT IS NECESSARY TO SAY ANYTHING, THEN THE AMERICANS SHOULD BE THANKED FOR THEIR RESPONSE TO OUR APPEAL FOR RESETTLEMENT IN PARTICULAR FROM THE OPEN CENTRES. THEY SHOULD BE ASKED ABOUT GOVERNOR RAY'S PANEL. MR. RENTON MIGHT WISH TO REFER TO HIS VISIT

TO THE REFUGEES IN HONG KONG AND THANK THE PANEL FOR DECIDING TO

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