TNAG-1540-FCO40-2104-Further-resettlement-of-Vietnamese-refugees-from-Hong-Kong-i-1986 — Page 106

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REGISTRY

22 SEP 1986

Vietnamese Refugees in Hong Kong

Mik

1. I am glad to hear that David Waddington is to visit Hong Kong at the end of this month, in part to see what progress has been made in the resettlement of Vietnamese refugees there. Where our own resettlement programme is concerned, we are now nearing the end of the UK's current offtake of family reunion cases from Hong Kong: and your officials have now notified the UK voluntary agencies to cease putting Hong Kong cases forward to them and to begin submitting cases from camps elsewhere in South East Asia.

2. David will of course wish to see the situation for himself "on the ground" before putting recommendations on any further offtake from the territory for you to consider after his return. However I am concerned at the coincidence between the hiatus that will now occur in our current offtake from Hong Kong and David's own visit to the territory. This will lead to suggestions that we have decided against a further offtake before David has even seen the situation for himself and provide the worst possible climate both for his visit and for presenting any

It would policy decision which we may take following it. therefore be very helpful if on arrival in Hong Kong David could indicate that the existing programme is still continuing, and that Ministers will wish to review the position after his return and report. Such a line would

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