15/11/85
8847
cc. Ben Jong
UND, SEAD, WED.
R: SECRETARY FOR SECURITY (WOODHOUSE)
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FROM: MINISTER, BRUSSELS (FRENCH)
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(RPTD: COUNSELLOR GENEVA 2 (WOO) (PLEASE COPY TO UKMIS), HONG KONG DEPARTMENT, FCO (FOR LEEKS), BRITISH EMBASSY COPENHAGEN (FOR DALES)
VIETNAMESE REFUGEES: DENMARK
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DURING A VISIT TO COPENHAGEN ON 12/13 NOVEMBER, JONES AND I CALLED ON THE BRITISH EMBASSY AND THE DANISH FOREIGN MINISTRY TO DISCUSS DEVELOPMENTS SINCE YOUR MEETING WITH MOLDE IN GENEVA
(TELNO 8746).
2.
AS INSTRUCTED BY THE FCO, DALES (HEAD OF CHANCERY, COPEN- HAGEN) HAD SEEN RECHNAGEL (DEPUTY POLITICAL DIRECTOR, MA) ON 26 SEPTEMBER FOLLOWING THE PUBLICATION OF THE WHITE PAPER. SUBSEQUENTLY, AFTER UNHCR EXCOM, A MEETING OF THE DANISH REFUGEE COUNCIL ON 24 OCTOBER HAD CONSIDERED THE PROBLEM OF VRS IN HONG KONG. WE WERE INFORMED BY BENDIX, HEAD OF HUMAN RIGHTS AND REFUGEES DEPARTMENT IN THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT OF THE DANISH MFA, THAT FOLLOWING THE DANISH REFUGEE COUNCIL'S RECOMMENDATIONS THE DANISH GOVERNMENT HAD RESOLVED THAT WHAT REMAINED OF THE DANISH 1985 GLOBAL QUOTA OF 250 FOR REFUGEES SHOULD BE PLACED AT THE DISPOSAL OF THE UNHCR AND THAT AMONG THOSE TO BE ACCEPTED THE DANISH GOVERNMENT HOPED TO SEE A SIGNIFICANT PROPORTION OF VRS FROM HONG KONG. BENDIX STRESSED THAT THE NUMBER OF PLACES AVAILABLE WOULD PROBABLY NOT BE VERY LARGE AND THE DANISH AUTHORITIES HAD ALREADY BEEN ASKED BY THE UNHCR SINCE THEN TO CONSIDER AN URGENT CASE OF SIX VRS FROM SOUTH AFRICA (SIC ). HOWEVER HE INDICATED THAT DENMARK WOULD BE PREPARED TO CONSIDER SOME FURTHER CASES OF VRS FROM HONG KONG CHANNELLED THROUGH UNHCR (PREFERABLY IN GENEVA). HE STRESSED HOWEVER THAT DENMARK HAD CONSIDERABLE PROBLEMS WITH SPONTANEOUS ASYLUM SEEKERS (VIDE MY MEMO 149 IN 6/02/1 OF 16 SEPTEMBER CONCERNING MY EARLIER MEETING WITH REIMANN) AND SOME 4,000 SUCH REFUGEES WERE BEING HOUSED TEMPORARILY ON A SHIP IN THE HARBOUR AWAITING PROCESSING.
3.
IT NOW SEEMS THAT THE BEST COURSE IS FOR YOU TO PUT INDIVIDUAL CASES OF VRS TO THE DANISH AUTHORITIES AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE THROUGH THE UNHCR (LAST THREE WORDS UNDERLINED).
4. WE ALSO RAISED WITH BENDIX THE QUESTION OF THE 25 VRS IN HONG KONG WITH CLOSE RELATIVES IN DENMARK, WITH PARTICULAR REFERENCE TO HMG'S INITIATIVE ON THE C 500 FAMILY REUNION CASES MENTIONED IN THE WHITE PAPER. HE INDICATED THAT THESE 25 CASES COULD BE CONSIDERED, BUT ONLY ON THE BASIS OF DENMARK'S USUAL FAMILY REUNION CRITERIA (SPOUSES, MINOR CHILDREN AND DEPENDENT PARENTS), AND WITHIN THE QUOTA.
5.
FINALLY WE ASKED ABOUT SKILL REQUIREMENTS AND BENDIX ADVISED THAT KNOWLEDGE OF ENGLISH AND SOME BASIC SKILLS (LIKE CARPENTRY AND METAL-WORK) WOULD BE HELPFUL.
6.
PLEASE KEEP ME AND BRITISH EMBASSY COPENHAGEN INFORMED OF ANY FURTHER DEVELOPMENTS REGARDING THE PROCESSING OF VRS IN HONG KONG FOR RESETTLEMENT IN DENMARK, AND LET ME KNOW IF THERE IS ANYTHING FURTHER WE CAN DO AT THIS END.
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61750 HONREP B
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