TNAG-1423-FCO40-1906-Vietnamese-refugees-in-Hong-Kong-general-1985 — Page 35

CIRCUMSTANCES OF THEIR CASES AND AGAINST THE BACKGROUND OF THE

PROVISIONS OF THE IMMIGRATION RULES.

ADMISSION CAN BE GRANTED

WHERE THERE ARE CIRCUMSTANCES OF A PARTICULARLY UNUSUAL AND

COMPELLING COMPASSIONATE NATURE BEYOND THAT GENERALLY EXPERIENCED

BY VIETNAMESE SEEKING REUNION.

THE EXISTENCE OF ALMOST 19,000 VIETNAMESE REFUGEES IN THE UNITED

KINGDOM AND OUR CONTINUING OBLIGATIONS REPRESENT VERY SUBSTANTIAL

there COMMITMENTS TO HELPING VIETNAMESE REFUGEES. ONLY A FEW OF THE

MANY OTHER NATIONALITIES WHO SEEK REFUGE IN THE UNITED KINGDOM

HAVE COME CLOSE TO BENEFITING TO THE SAME DEGREE IN A COMPARABLE

PERIOD OF TIME. NEVERTHELESS WE RECOGNISE OUR RESPONSIBILITY

FOR HONG KONG AND HAVE A PARTICULAR CONCERN TO RESOLVE THE

PROBLEMS OF VIETNAMESE REFUGEES THERE. THE FACT THAT WELL OVER

HALF THE VIETNAMESE REFUGEES IN THIS COUNTRY HAVE BEEN TAKEN

FROM HONG KONG IS RECOGNITION OF THAT. MY HONOURABLE FRIEND

THE MINISTER OF STATE AT THE HOME OFFICE HAS RECENTLY INFORMED

THE BRITISH REFUGEE COUNCIL THAT HE IS WILLING TO LOOK AGAIN AT

of refugees with relatives in this country whose applications CERTAIN CASES WHICH HAVE PREVIOUSLY BEEN REFUSED, BUT WHERE

\

may be particularly strong camparsionate

THERE ARE/ARGUMENTS FOR REVERSING THAT DECISION

/ARGUM

Place of

BOTH WE AND THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT AUTHORITIES CONTINUE TO REMIND

OTHER COMMUNITY COUNTRIES OF HONG KONG'S PREDICAMENT, AS THE FIRST

OUNTRY 'ITH THE GREATEST CASELOAD OF UNRELATED REFUGEES-

I KNOW THAT THE PROBLEM OF VIETNAMES REFUGEES IN HONG KONG IS

SYLUM

the territory

OF PARTICULAR CONCERN TO ONE OF THE COMMITTEES IN ANOTHER PLACE

10