TNAG-1527-FCO40-2091-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-general-1986 — Page 85

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CONFIDENTIAL

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INFO ROUTINE UKMIS GENEVA, HONG KONG

ORDERLY DEPARTURE PROGRAMME

70

1. IN YOUR TELELETTER OF 27 MARCH TO NASH YOU ASKED FOR UP TO

DATE GUIDANCE ON HMG'S ATTITUDES TO THE ODP. PARAS 2-5 BELOW,

DRAWN UP IN CONSULTATION WITH THE HOME OFFICE, ARE FOR USE AT THE PROPOSED UNHCR MEETING AND WITH THE FAC, EXCEPT WHERE STATED.

2. BACKGROUnd. THE UK WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN SETTING UP THE ODP

IN 1979 BECAUSE OF OUR CONCERN ABOUT VIETNAMESE ARRIVALS IN HONG KONG. WE HAVE A CONTINUING INTERNATIONAL COMMITMENT TO

ACCEPT FAMILY REUNION CASES UNDER THE ODP. THE HOME OFFICE BELIEVE

THAT THERE ARE STILL SOME 2,000 CASES IN THE PIPELINE FOR WHOM VISA PROMISORY LETTERS HAVE BEEN ISSUED. WE DO NOT KNOW HOW MANY OF

THESE WILL WISH TO TAKE UP THEIR VISAS. LAST YEAR, ACCORDING TO UNHCR STATISTICS, WE RECEIVED 314 VIETNAMESE UNDER THE ODP (844 IN 1983: 609 IN 1984). HMG PROVIDES FUNDS TO UMHCR FOR THE ODP OPERATION: 125,000 PDS DURING FY 1984/85, 50,000 PDS DURING FY 1985/

86.

3. THE HOME OFFICE IS CURRENTLY ACCEPTING ODP CASES WHICH FALL WITHIN THE ESTABLISHED FAMILY REUNION CRITERIA, IE SPOUSE AND

MINOR DEPENDENT CHILDREN OF A REFUGEE SETTLED IN THE UNITED KINGDOM, AS WELL AS CONSIDERING CASES EXCEPTIONALLY WHERE THERE

ARE SIGNIFICANT COMPASSIONATE CIRCUMSTANCES. FOR YOUR OWN

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