TNAG-1802-FCO40-2562-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-resettlement-in-the-UK-1988 — Page 243

CONFIDENTIAL

FM FCO

TO IMMEDIATE HANOI

TELNO 259

OF 311405Z OCTOBER 88

CONFIDENTIAL

ils

074552 MDHOAN 7817

MKD 243/12

PERSONAL FOR AMBASSADOR FROM MCLAREN

OUR TELNO 258

1.

ODR 112

Ons

а

I KNOW THAT YOU WILL WANT TO RESPOND AS SYMPATHETICALLY AND CONSTRUCTIVELY AS POSSIBLE TO OUR TELEGRAM SEEKING YOUR ADVICE ABOUT HOW TO REGULATE THE FLOW OF ODP ARRIVALS. YOU SHOULD ALSO BE AWARE THAT THERE IS AN ADDITIONAL REASON WHY WE NEED TO

CONVINCE MINISTERS THAT ODP WILL NOT SWAMP OUR LIMITED RECEPTION FACILITIES. WE ARE CLOSE TO FINALISING A SUBMISSION SEEKING INTER-DEPARTMENTAL AGREEMENT TO A NEW UK RESETTLEMENT COMMITMENT FOR

VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE IN HONG KONG. WE ARE RECOMMENDING AN ADDITIONAL INTAKE OF 1,000 PEOPLE OVER ABOUT 2 1/2 YEARS AT A MONTHLY RATE OF 40 (TWICE THE EXISTING RATE OF INTAKE). WE ARE CONVINCED THAT A COMMITMENT OF THIS ORDER OF MAGNITUDE WILL BE NECESSARY IN ORDER TO GENERATE SIGNIFICANT NEW OFFERS FROM OTHER RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES. THE HOME OFFICE ARE DISPOSED TO SUPPORT OUR CASE, BUT ARE NATURALLY CONCERNED THAT THERE WILL BE INSUFFICIENT RESOURCES TO COPE WITH AN INCREASED INTAKE UNLESS

THE FLOW OF ODP ARRIVALS CAN BE REGULATED.

HOWE

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ΜΑΙΝ

21

LIMITED

HKD

NNNN

DISTRIBUTION

21

SEAD

MR MCLAREN