TNAG-1801-FCO40-2561-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-resettlement-in-the-UK-1988 — Page 5

RESTRICTED

Reference.....

(85

A

?

Mr Colvin

VIETNAMESE REFUGEES AND THE ODP

84

HKD 243/12

SEP 38

I attach a letter from Mrs Fair in the Home Office to Mr Hum in HKD.

1.

2. I have discussed this briefly with Mr Footman ink. We both agree that for the Home Office to start making difficulties here about receiving ODPS will cut directly across our own efforts to promote the ODP as an alternative to the boat people outflows. In the first place we have repeatedly pressed on the Vietnamese not to drag their feet on the ODP i.e. by making difficulties about issuing exit permits. Equally, or perhaps even more worrying, however, is the prospect that if we say we cannot receive and process ODP arrivals here quickly enough and therefore the rate of arrival must be reduced, the Vietnamese might then claim the same problem in Vietnam if and when economic migrants are repatriated from Hong Kong, and start asking for the rate of

The Vietnamese could also return to be slowed down there. claim that they can hardly be blamed if their people start leaving the country illegally, because it takes so long for them to get out via the ODP.

3. The Home Office first raised the issue back in February

We passed when the number of ODP arrivals started increasing. on to Hanoi the Home Office's request that they be given advance notification of the expected number of arrivals in

Hanoi replied that they receive flight any one month. details from UNHCR only two weeks before the departure date, but they undertook to pass on the details to the Home Office when received. I cannot find any record on the files as to whether this message was ever passed on to the Home Office.

4. Anyway, it is clear that even two weeks notification is

The number of ODP insufficient to alleviate the problem. arrivals is likely to increase even further with the new policy in Hong Kong in operation, thus exacerbating the problem. The last paragraph of page 2 of Mrs Fair's letter contains a veiled threat that unless the flow can be controlled refugees will be deserted at Heathrow "or on the streets" generating much unfavourable publicity for HMG.

5.

Firstly to

The Home Office propose various options. ask UNHCR if they can provide even earlier notification and

I am not familiar help in controlling the rate of departures. with the exact mechanics of the ODP, or sure how much notification UNHCR receives in turn from the Vietnamese, but I presume it would not be too difficult for them to delay departures by a fortnight or so so that we can give the Home office at least a month's warning in advance.

CODE 18-77 AWO Ltd.

7/84

RESTRICTED

/6.