TNAG-1534-FCO40-2098-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-repatriation-1986 — Page 104

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A

assist considerably our diplomatic campaign

to which

SCORRI attached great importance to persuade by example

other countries to resettle more refugees from Hong Kong.

We considered that they would perceive a UK commitment limited to the family reunion cases as belated fulfilment of our moral duty rather than as a special gesture meriting

a response in kind.

6.

The matter was resolved in correspondence between the Secretary of State and Mr Brittan. They agreed that the decision to accept the family reunion cases need not be taken to H Committee. However in commenting on the final

draft of the Government's Reply, the Prime Minister

subsequently took the view that the question of our

accepting SCORRI's recommendations on the admission of further Vietnamese from Hong Kong should have been taken to H Committee since the decision to admit the family reunion cases was "a damaging one".

The Diplomatic Campaign

7.

new places (details at Annex).

In

Although our acceptance of only the

only the family

family reunion

cases reduced the prospects for the success of our diplomatic campaign, our efforts have nevertheless produced

offers of some 1,000 addition to these the US, which has not fixed a ceiling for its intake from Hong Kong for the 1986 fiscal year (to

end-September), is nevertheless resettling Hong Kong

refugees at an annual rate of

of 200-300 above its FY 1985

ceiling of 1,600 places. In the light of these responses Hong Kong has

in accordance with another

SCORRI recommendation, to absorb a further 250 refugees

from the camps.

8.

also decided,

However most of the additional offers of resettlement

places are for a fixed number of refugees, to be accepted in the current calendar year or over a 12-month period. There is no indication that any will be renewed thereafter. In several cases eg the US, Canada and Australia

this

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