TNAG-1537-FCO40-2101-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-resettlement-in-third-countri-1986 — Page 234

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UKMIS GENEVA TELNO 377: VIETNAMESE REFUGEES IN HONG KONG:LUXEMBOURG

1. REUTER (MFA) HELD AN INTERNAL LUXEMBOURG MEETING ON 9 JULY, HAVING EXTRACTED ON 3 JULY FROM THE UNHCR SUB-OFFICE IN LUXEMBOURG THE LIST REFERRED TO IN TUR. GUYAUX (MEDECINS SANS FRONTIERES) WAS EXPECTED, BUT TELEPHONED A REPORT INSTEAD. REUTER TOLD ME THAT THE RESULT OF THE MEETING WAS THAT FURTHER DETAILED WORK IS BEING DONE BY THE LUXEMBOURG DEPARTMENTS CONCERNED. GUYAUX WILL COME HERE TO MAKE A DETAILED PRESENTATION ON 13 AUGUST. MEANWHILE, GOEBBELS (STATE SECRETARY, MFA) HAS CONFIRMED TO REUTER THE DECISION IN PRINCIPLE TO ACCEPT REFUGEES FROM HONG KONG, UP TO A MAXIMUM OF THIRY PERSONS. REUTER EXPECTS TO SUBMIT DETAILED PROPOSALS TO MINISTERS AFTER 13 AUGUST FOR A FINAL DECISION

IN LATE AUGUST OR EARLY SEPTEMBER. HE UNDERSTANDS THIS WOULD

MEAN REFUGEES WOULD COME TO LUXEMBOURG AROUND THE END OF THE YEAR, AND HAS BEEN TOLD BY GUYAUX THAT IN THE MEANTIME THEY WILL

BE GIVEN SOME GROUNDING IN FRENCH.

2. REUTER, WHO IS NEW TO THE SUBJECT, ASKED ME WHO NORMALLY PAYS FOR TRANSPORT IN SUCH CASES, AND I SAID I WOULD ENQUIRE. IF LUXEMBOURG IS TO PAY, THEY ARE LIKELY TO ASK FOR PERMISSION FOR A CARGOLUX OR LUXAIR FLIGHT TO PICK UP THE REFUGEES FROM HONG KONG.

3. REUTER POINTED OUT THAT, IF LUXEMBOURG EVENTUALLY TAKES THIRTY REFUGEES, THIS IS A LARGE NUMBER RELATIVE TO THE SIZE OF THE COUNTRY. IT COULD BE USEFUL IN TWISTING THE ARMS OF THE BELGIANS, FOR EXAMPLE: THE ACCEPTED RATIO OF THE BELGIAN AND

LUXEMBOURG POPULATIONS IS 27 TO 1.

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