TNAG-1540-FCO40-2104-Further-resettlement-of-Vietnamese-refugees-from-Hong-Kong-i-1986 — Page 70

HK

6570/LM 883

16

CTOBER 1986

FOR: DAVID JEAFFRESON, SECRETARY FOR SECURITY

FM: KEN WOODHOUSE IN LONDON

COPIED TO: CLINTON LEEKS AT FCQ

HKK 94.3/1

REGLIV!

- 3 NOV 1986

ANTHONY WOO, GENEVA (PLS PASS TO DELIA WALKER AT UKMIS)

CONFIDENTIAL

JJJJ Q

KEY NO.6?

START CM 6

MEETING WITH HOME OFFICE OFFICIALS

(18

f.

Pap

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hrn 2431 Reselt in

Uk

I MET BOR MORRIS AND ROY MACDOWELL OF THE HOME OFFICE YESTERDA AFTERNOON (15 OCTOBER). THEY ASKED ABOUT THE RESULTS OF MY VISIT TO GENEVA AND I EXPLAINED THAT ALTHOUGH THERE HAD BEEN A FEW POSITIVE

THE RESULTS, HMG'S FAILURE TO TAKE REFUGEES FROM HONG KONG WAS NOW HINDERING OUR RESETTLEMENT PROSPECTS. ON THE BRIGHTER SIDE, UNHCR SEEMED TO BE TAKING A GREATER INTEREST IN SCREENING AND ITS CONSEQUENCES. THIS WAS A CLEAR IMPROVEMENT ON THE HIGH COMMISSIONER'S COMMENTS IN HONG KONG AND SUGGESTED THAT THERE WAS A WIND OF CHANGE.

2.

I ASKED ABOUT THE LIST OF 657 FAMILY REUNION CASES WHICH BRC HAD CLAIMED. LATER I SPOKE TO LIZ HEBDEN WHO SAID THAT SHE HAD THIS

THE HOME OFFICE LIST AND WOULD FORWARD IT TO ME THROUGH BEN TANG. OFFICIALS APPRECIATED OUR OFFER TO GO THROUGH THIS LIST QUICKLY TO IDENTIFY THE MAGNITUDE OF THE PROBLEM.

3.

THEY EXPLAINED THAT THE HIGH COMMISSIONER WAS VISITING LONDON AT THE END OF THE MONTH AND THEY WERE CONSIDERING WHAT TO SAY TO HIM. THEY THOUGHT THAT THEY WOULD LIAISE WITH THE FCO TO PRESS FIRST FOR MORE WORK ON DURABLE SOLUTIONS (SCREENING/REPATRIATION) RATHER THAN THEY SAID RESETTLEMENT. IT WAS NOT CLEAR AND I WAS UNABLE TO DRAW THEM ON THEIR ATTITUDE TOWARDS A FURTHER OFFTAKE FROM HONG KONG. THAT MR WADDINGTON WAS STILL CONSIDERING THE MATTER AFTER HIS VISIT TO HONG KONG. HE HAD BEEN VERY IMPRESSED AND THOUGHT THAT THE HONG KONG AUTHORITIES AND THE VOLAGS WERE DOING A GREAT JOB. BUT UK HAD MR WADDINGTON SEVERE IMMIGRATION PROBLEMS (YOU WILL HAVE BEEN AWARE OF THE CHAOS AT HEATHROW YESTERDAY AS THE VISA DEADLINE APPROACHED). FAVOURED A MULTI-LATERAL LINE WHICH DREW IN THE UNHCR.

COMMENT

THE 1985 WHITE PAPER IN RESPONSE TO SCORRI LEAVES A HOOK ON WHICH THE PRESSURE GROUPS HERE ARE ATTEMPTING TO HANG THE HOME OFFICE. MINISTERS ARE REPORTED TO HAVE LIMITED THE FAMILY REUNION CASES TO 500 IN JULY THIS YEAR NO MATTER WHAT IS SAID IN THE WHITE PAPER. I THINK THAT OUR BEST BET IS TO PRESS FOR A CONTINUED, BUT SLOWER, OFFTAKE FROM WHATEVER COMES OUT OF THE BRC LIST. TWO YEARS AT 20 PER MONTH IS BETTER THAN 40 A MONTH FOR THE NEXT YEAR BECAUSE IT GIVES US MORE LEVERAGE WITH THE OTHER RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES AND THE UNHCR.

ENDS

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