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3. AFTER I HAD MADE MY PITCH TO BEAN, HE GAVE ME THE LATEST US F JRES. FOR THE FIRST QUARTER OF FY86 (OCTOBER - DECEMBER 1985)
THEY TOOK 359 VIETNAMESE REFUGEES FROM HONG KONG. FOR THE SECOND QUARTER THEIR PLANNING QUOTA IS 530: AND THEY WERE ON TARGET
FOR THIS QUOTA IN JANUARY. THE REASON FOR THE INCREASE IS THAT
THEY ARE HAVING DIFFICULTY FINDING REFUGEES WHO MEET THEIR
CRITERIA FROM MALAYSIA AND INDONESIA AND ARE UPPING HONG KONG'S
QUOTA AS A RESULT. IF THEY CAN SUSTAIN THAT THROUGH THIS
FINANCIAL YEAR (THEY ARE NOT AS YET HAVING DIFFICULTY IN FINDING
ELIGIBLE REFUGEES IN HONG KONG) THEN THEY SHOULD TAKE BETWEEN
1,800 AND 1,900 IN FY86 (AGAINST AN OUT-TURN OF 1,685 IN FY85).
4. BEAN EMPHASISED THAT THERE ARE A NUMBER OF IMPONDERABLES, IN
PARTICULAR :
GOVERNOR RAY'S REPORT IS DUE IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS. STATE
DEPARTMENT WILL THEN CONDUCT THEIR OWN REVIEW ON THE BASIS OF IT.
AT THE SAME TIME THE IMMIGRATION SERVICES ARE REVIEWING THEIR
CATEGORIES FOR THOSE WHO ARE PRESUMED TO BE SUFFERING PERSECUTION.
THIS MAY AFFECT THE ELIGIBILITY OF NORTH VIETNAMESE WHO ARE
ETHNIC CHINESE.
FINALLY, THE BUDGETARY UNCERTAINTIES HERE MAKE ANY RELIABLE
FORECAST DIFFICULT.
5. FOR ALL THOSE REASONS, BEAN THOUGHT THAT IT WOULD BE VERY DIFFICULT FOR THE AMERICANS TO GIVE US ANY BANKABLE ASSURANCES ABOUT THEIR PERFORMANCE. BUT HE WAS HOPEFUL THAT THE INCREASED
OFFTAKE WOULD BE MAINTAINED AT LEAST FOR THIS YEAR.
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