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5. PURCELL ADDED THAT THE NUMBERS OF REFUGEES TAKEN BY THE US WORLD-WIDE WAS DECLINING. HONG KONG WAS STILL AN EXCEPTION TO THIS TREND: THE TOTAL FOR EX36/37 WOULD BE AT ABOUT THE SAME LEVEL AS THE PREVIOUS YEAR. THE RAY PANEL HAD RECOMMENDED FLEXIBILITY IN THE TRANSITION BETWEEN THE OLD SYSTEM AND THE PPOPOSED NEW ONE. STATE DEPARTMENT WERE CONSIDERING HOW THIS FLEXIBILITY SHOULD BE APPLIED : BUT THE IMPORTANT POINT WAS THAT ONLY THOSE WHO COULD ESTABLISH GENUINE REFUGEE STATUS COULD BE CONSIDERED UNDER THE REFUGEE PROGRAMME.
6.
WE DREW PURCELL'S ATTENTION TO THE CONCERN IN HONG KONG THAT IT COULD TAKE UP TO 10 YEARS BEFORE VIETNAMESE RESIDENTS HERE WERE ABLE TO BRING THEIR RELATIVES OVER AS IMMIGRANTS (PARA
7 OF HONG KONG TELNO 1885). PURCELL TOOK THE POINT AND SAID THAT THIS WAS AGAIN SOMETHING TO BE CONSIDERED IN THE CONTEXT OF THE FLEXIBILTY RECOMMENDED IN THE RAY PANEL REPORT.
7. ON THE TIMING OF THE ADMINISTRATION'S RESPONSE TO THE RAY PANEL, PURCELL SAID THAT HE WANTED TO CONSULT THE NEW US COORD. WATOR FOR REFUGEES (JONATHAN MOORE, WHO IS AWAITING SENATE CONFIRMATION) : SEE THE EFFECTS OF GRAMN-RUDHAN CUTS FOR FY87 : AND ESTABLISH THE VIEWS OF THE NEW UN HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES AND THE MAJOR GOVERNMENTS CONCERNED BEFORE FINALISING THE RESPONSE. BUT HE HOPED THAT IT WOULD BE OUT BEFORE LONG.
WRIGHT
BOAT PEOPLE
LIMITED
SEAD
HKD
UND
FED
NEWS D
MARD
P8
PS/MR RENTON
ADDITIONAL DISTRIBUTION
BOAT PEOPLE
BIR W HARDING
MR SLATER MR WILSON
2.
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