R.
ANNEX πT
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Mrs_Urd-chill
ARRIVAL RATE OF 468 VIETNAMESE REFUGEES FROM HONG KONG.
173
We discussed your note of 6 November.
You pointed out that the pressure from the Vietnamese lobby to increase the arrival rate of the 468 was probably a disguised form of pressure to increase the numbers accepted for resettlement since, as soon as the 468 were settled here there would be pressure to accept further quotas of people with less direct links with this country. Moreover, although we were being told that the voluntary agencies were confident that they could cope with more than 20 resettlements per month, past experience suggested that this was not the case. There was also the question whether, even if the voluntary agencies could cope, local authorities and others upon whom burdens would fall would have the resources to absorb larger numbers each month. All of these considerations, coupled with the fact that the Home Secretary's announcement referred specifically to an arrival rate of 20 per month, led you to the view that we should stick to our present position, while acknowledging that in practice there would continue to be some flexibility. I agree with this view.
We spoke also about the date from which the commitment might be said to run and agreed that this should probably be the date of the Home Secretary's announcement. Since, in fact, no refugees began to arrive until July, this would mean that in practice rather more than 20 would need to be accepted in some months if the 468 were all to be received by the end of the 2 year period. In other words, there would continue to be some flexibility month by month, but the aim would be to ensure that the arrivals were, so far as possible, spread evenly over the 2 year period.
You said that you would pass this on to FCO.
<Stewar
Miss C J Stewart
B1 Division
9 November 1987
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