TNAG-1425-FCO40-1908-Vietnamese-refugees-in-Hong-Kong-general-1985 — Page 201

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5. Towards the latter end of 1984 BRC accepted that we could give

no undertaking to take a set quota but asked us to look again at

those cases in which we had already refused applications but where

they considered there to exist exceptional and compelling

compassionate circumstances. In advance of SCORRI's report we agreed to this request and Mr Waddington wrote to Lord Ennals on 6 February Since then BRC have resubmitted about 35 cases. The indications

are that BRC are merely putting back to us the original applications

of those refugees with relatives in this country without any effort to

identify those cases with exceptional and compelling compassionate

circumstances.

SCORRI Report

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6.

The report was published on

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8 April. It highlighted the

Hong Kong refugee problem and the plight of the Vietnamese refugees

in the closed camps.

7. The first part of the report deals with the position of Vietnamese

refugees in the "open" and "closed" camps in Hong Kong. It makes a

number of recommendations aimed at reducing the size of Hong Kong's

refugee problems and abolishing the closed camps. This would result

in the United Kingdom taking more Vietnamese refugees from Hong Kong.

8. The recommendations are being considered but the plight of the

Vietnamese refugees in Hong Kong is not solely a matter for the

Government of the United Kingdom and we shall of course be consulting

our friends in the international community as well as the interested

parties in this country.

/FCO View