TNAG-1801-FCO40-2561-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-resettlement-in-the-UK-1988 — Page 192

FCO40 Hong Kong Department Records 聯邦事務部香港部檔案 All

CONFIDENTIAL

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MDLIAN 1624

4. AS STATED IN OUR TELNO 487 WE RAISED THESE ISSUES IN GENERAL TERMS WITH SIR BRIAN CUBBON DURING HIS RECENT VISIT. IN HIS MEETING WITH THE GOVERNOR HE SUGGESTED THAT WE GIVE A (QUOTE) MORE EXPERT VIEW ON WHAT WOULD HAVE THE MOST EFFECT IN ENCOURAGING OTHER COUNTRIES TO INCREASE THEIR OWN OFF-TAKE (UNQUOTE). IN THIS CONTEXT IT WOULD UNDOUBTEDLY HELP IF THE CURRENT UK QUOTA COULD BE CHANGED FROM A LIST OF 468 NAMED INDIVIDUALS INTO A STRAIGHT QUOTA OF 468 PLACES SO THAT VACATED PLACES COULD BE BACK-FILLED BY OTHER

SUITABLE REFUGEES (E.G THOSE IN THE FOUR CATEGORIES LISTED IN PARA 2 (C) OF OUR TELNO 487). SPECIFICALLY THIS WOULD HELP TO PERSUADE THE CANADIANS TO MAINTAIN THEIR VERY SUPPORTIVE ACTION WHICH, WE UNDERSTAND IS NOT WITHOUT ITS CRITICS IN OTTAWA THE CANADIAN CASE REFERRED TO IN PARA. 3 ABOVE COULD BE TREATED AS A

TEST CASE.

5.

INCIDENTALLY WE ALSO UNDERSTAND THAT THE CANADIANS MAY BE PREPARED TO OFFER RESETTLEMENT PLACES FOR SOME OR ALL OF THE EX- CHINA VIETNAMESE (QUOTE) REFUGEES (UNQUOTE) FROM FANG CHENG CAMP. A POSITIVE GESTURE FROM HMG IN THE CASE REFERRED TO ABOVE AND GENERALLY IN THE CONTEXT OF THE UK RESETTLEMENT QUOTA ARRANGEMENTS WOULD ENCOURAGE CANADA AND POSSIBLY OTHERS (E.G. THE AMERICANS) TO HELP US RESOLVE THE FANG CHENG ECVII PROBLEM.

6.

·

WE RECOGNISE THAT THE UK HAD DIFFICULTY IN TAKING MORE REFUGEES FOR RESETTLEMENT FROM HONG JONG WHILE MAINTAINING A FIRM IMMIG- RATION LINE GENERALLY. BUT AT THIS STAGE FACED WITH INCREASING ARRIVALS AND DWINDLING RESETTLEMENT PROSPECTS, HONG KONG NEEDS HMG TO TAKE A CLEAR LEAD IN MAINTAINING RESETTLEMENT WHILE AT THE SAME TIME PROMOTING OTHER DURABLE SOLUTIONS.

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MR GILLMORE

MR MCLAREN

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