future action from resettlement to eventual repatriation.
But a limited resettlement problem will remain:
essentially this will involve the 3,000 boat people
already in Hong Kong, together with limited numbers of
new arrivals "screened in" as genuine refugees. People
in Hong Kong will look to the resettlement countries to
give a fresh impetus to their programmes. Both Hong Kong
and the international community will argue that HMG
should take a lead. This view will also be taken by some
among the public here and on both sides in Parliament.
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7. I note from Charles Powell's letter of 18 May your
reservations about a new resettlement commitment. I
share your reluctance to see further Vietnamese coming to
Britain. But we would no longer be dealing with such an
open-ended problem: nor would the resettlement of those
present in Hong Kong before the changes of policy any
longer exert a significant "pull effect" in encouraging
further departures from Vietnam. In view of the intense
pressure which we shall face from Hong Kong, from the
other resettlement countries and, to a certain extent,
from public opinion here I conclude that we shall have to
be prepared to make some further offers.
8.
that:
shouldy
I shall therefore be grateful for your agreement
(i)
the Hong Kong Government should be authorised to
introduce and announce the planned change of
policy: it will probably come into effect in
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