TNAG-1531-FCO40-2095-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-general-1987 — Page 120

Yes

布政司署

香港下亞畢道

本署檔號 OUR REF:

NVV 243/3. RECEWEN

Y

來函檔號 YouR REF:

919

Security Branch, 6/F,

GOVERNment seCRETARIAT

LOWER ALBERT ROAD

HONG KONG

Mr. C.E. Leeks,

IND

1 DEC 1986

Hong Kong Government Department,

Foreign & Commonwealth Office,

London,

SW1A 2AH.

Dear Clinton.

REGISTRY

Action Taken

Imeli

28 November 1986.

du Perta

UK Orderly Departure Programme.

pre ale H-0. to

provide.

Gayız

We have heard several people talk about the number

of refugees coming to UK directly from Vietnam under the UK ODP. This is a subject on which we have little information and we wonder whether you could help.

As we understand it, the UK ODP has been operating for about five or six years. We would be grateful to know how many refugees from Vietnam have entered UK under the Programme? We also understand that the criteria for acceptance have changed over the years. We would be grateful to know what criteria have been. adopted by UK? In particular, we would be interested in the reasoning behind any change in the criteria.

We have always assumed that the difference between the oft-quoted 20,000 Vietnamese refugees accepted by UK and the 13,000 who have left UK from Hong Kong have represented the number which have been accepted from other places of first asylum in the region. But this may not be true. Are the ODP numbers included in the 20,000? It would help us if you could let us know the number of refugees accepted from each of the other places of first asylum in the region and the year in which they were accepted.

I hope that this does not present too many problems But, as you will appreciate, this information will help us to discuss HMG's role more knowledgeably.

for you.

yours,

Ken

(K.J. Woodhouse),

for Secretary for Security.

Page 120Page 121