TNAG-1795-FCO40-2555-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-repatriation--including-Opera-1988 — Page 215

RE

JKD 243/8

2 JUI 198。

Talk with Home Secretary

-

For Part, HKD

(580)

The Secretory of State spoke to the Home Secretory on 27 July

on these ties and

gave him a copy of this speaking inte flora

Play Foat People

Vietnamese 'Boat People

in Hong Kong

Minute to you of 18 July suggested officials should

meet urgently (no answer yet).

Governor of Hong Kong called on 20 July. HK resources under

serious strain. Now over 22,000; over 900 last weekend.

Governor confirmed our view that 1000 was right sort of figure to trigger a response from US, Australia etc. But

he suggested over 2 rather than 3 years, ie 40 a month the rate we resettled under previous commitment, when refugee

problem in HK was less acute.

Still unclear whether new screening policy will reduce rate of arrival. (News not yet disseminated through Vietnam;

we are working on this - BBC etc.) But what is clear

is that a very few, if any, post 16 June arrivals are likely to be given refugee status. For settlement purposes, therfore, we are dealing with a finite figure of 16,000.

Hope you can agree that officials should examine, urgently, a proposal on these lines.

Miss Syahr, + PA

N2917

Mr FogEman

/24/1