TNAG-1801-FCO40-2561-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-resettlement-in-the-UK-1988 — Page 11

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032416 MDLOAN 1621

VIETNAMESE REFUGEES AND THE ODP

1. THE HOME OFFICE ARE CONCERNED ABOUT

THE INCREASE IN ODP DEPARTURES SINCE THE

VIETNAMESE AUTHORITIES SPEEDED UP THE PROCESS OF ISSUING EXIT VISAS. MONTHLY DEPARTURES FOR THE UK AVERAGED 20-30 BETWEEN OCTOBER AND JUNE 1988 BUT IN JULY ROSE TO 111 AND IN AUGUST ARE EXPECTED TO EXCEED 50. THE TOTAL CAPACITY OF RECEPTION CENTRES IN THE UK, RUN BY VOLUNTARY ORGANISATIONS, IS 130 PEOPLE AT ANY ONE TIME AND THE AVERAGE LENGTH OF STAY IS 3

MONTHS. ALTHOUGH NOT ALL ARRIVALS CHOOSE TO USE A RECEPTION CENTRE, THE MAJORITY FROM HONG KONG AND AN INCREASING PROPORTION OF THOSE FROM VIETNAM NEED TO DO SO. THE HOME OFFICE FEAR THAT ANY FURTHER LARGE SCALE ARRIVALS IN THE COMING WEEKS COULD BE BEYOND THE CAPACITY OF THE UK RECEPTION CENTRES TO COPE. WITH ONLY TWO WEEKS NOTIFICATION OF ARRIVALS, THERE IS SMALL PROSPECT OF NEGOTIATING EMERGENCY ACCOMMODATION WITH LOCAL AUTHORITIES. 2. AGAINST THIS BACKGROUND, THEY HAVE ASKED WHETHER, FIRST, THE PERIOD OF NOTIFICATION OF ODP DEPARTURES COULD BE INCREASED: AND SECOND WHETHER METHODS OF CONTROLLING THE DEPARTURES FROM VIETNAM FOR THE UK COULD BE FOUND TO MAKE THEM MORE PREDICTABLE AND

WITHIN THE CAPACITY FOR RECEPTION.

OUT.

3. AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, THIS IS AN UNWELCOME COMPLICATION, ABOVE ALL IN THE CONTEXT OF OUR ATTEMPTS TO PERSUADE THE VIETNAMESE GOVERNMENT TO STOP THE OUTFLOW TO HONG KONG (INTER ALIA BY CONCENTRATING MORE ON THE ODP) AND TO ACCEPT BACK THOSE SCREENED

NEVERTHELESS, IT IS ONE THAT WE HAVE TO TAKE SERIOUSLY, PARTICULARLY AS THE OBVIOUS SOLUTION (IE INCREASING THE RESOURCES AVAILABLE FOR RECEIVING REFUGEES IN THE UK) IS HIGHLY PROBLEMATIC. GRATEFUL THEREFORE IF YOU COULD CONSIDER, WITHOUT AT THIS STAGE SPEAKING TO UNHCR OR THE VIETNAMESE GOVERNMENT, WHETHER THERE WOULD BE ANY ADMINISTRATIVE MEANS OF REGULATING THE FLOW OF ODP DEPARTURES FROM VIETNAM TO THE UK. ONE POSSIBILITY MIGHT BE TO ASK UNHCR IF THEY COULD PROVIDE EARLY NOTIFICATION AND HELP IN CONTROLLING THE RATE OF DEPARTURES. IF THEY COULD DELAY DEPARTURES BY A FORTNIGHT OR SO, THAT WOULD PROVIDE THE HOME OFFICE WITH AT LEAST A MONTH'S ADVANCE WARNING WHICH WOULD CERTAINLY HELP. AN ALTERNATIVE

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