TNAG-1426-FCO40-1909-Vietnamese-refugees-in-Hong-Kong-general-1985 — Page 204

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Mr Galsworthy, HKD

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VIETNAMESE REFUGEES: KEITH BEST ADJOURNMENT DEBATE 14 MAY

1.

Attached is the Hansard record of the Adjournment debate in which Mr Luce spoke on 14 May. APS/Mr Luce afterwards asked me to check the record to see if any of Mr Best's points need a written response. APS/Mr Luce specifically mentioned in this

that Mr Luce would like the issue of spouses etc separated between camps to be re-examined. I am afraid that this response has been delayed first by my absence early last week and then by the need to obtain a view from the Home Office.

2. There is only one aspect on which Mr Luce did not respond to Mr Best in the debate: this is the question of family reunion criteria: para 2 of Col 301 refers. Mr Best asked whether other countries adopt criteria as restrictive as the UK's. Information on other countries' immigration policies is available in the Home Office: but it is of course "informal" and incomplete, since most countries do not formally advise others of their policies in this regard. My discussions last week with Immigration and Nationality Department of the Home Office revealed a certain reluctance on their part that we should go into writing with MPs on "comparative immigration criteria": in part this reluctance is understandable it is a complex subject, and some of our information on other countries' policies may actually be wrong.

3.

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The only information available in the SCORRI report on this subject was provided by Hong Kong (see extract from Hong Kong Government memo to SCORRI attached): it refers to US and Australian criteria only (both are of course published).

4

(a)

Rather than delay this further I see two options:

>

"

put up a reply from Mr Luce on the lines that we are not as a matter of course informed of other countries' criteria, but HKG memo to SCORRI indicates... etc. This line seems to me to be rather weak; or

(b)

let sleeping dogs lie.

5. On the issue of "segregation" between camps, which Mr Best also raised (Col 301 para 1), Mr Luce responded with the agreed HMG/HKG line (Col 306 para 5). I believe that the subject also arose in your

in your discussion with Mr Luce early last week (before Mr Ashdown's first debate), and gather that the difficulties

involved in pursuing this any further may then have been fully

MKK 243/5

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY

29 MAY 1985

MERK FFICER

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