TNAG-1802-FCO40-2562-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-resettlement-in-the-UK-1988 — Page 249

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DSR

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(Revised Sept 85)

DRAFT: minute/letter/teleletter/despatch/note

FROM:

FOREIGN AND HOME SECRETRALY

DEPARTMENT:

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SECURITY CLASSIFICATION

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Top Secret

PRIME MINISTER

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SUBJECT:

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In Confidence

CAVEAT ..................

TYPE: Draft/Final 1 +

Reference

GI NASM

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VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE IN HONG KONG: RESETTLEMENT

We must now focus on thosa

معمل صاحب

qualify. remain

encouraging

are on and

1. The Private Secretary to the Foreign Secretary wrote

to Mr Powell on 17 October about the outcome of the

second round of talks with the Vietnamese authorities on

the return of Vietnamese boat people in Hong Kong. We

have taken the first important step towards achieving our

objective of the return of all boat people who do not

qualify to be treated as political refugees.

The

beginning of the repatriation exercise will reinforce the

deterrent effect of our new policies and reduce further

the rate of illegal departures for Hong Kong. The latest

very few new arrivals : a much figures/already show hert

show since mid-September ein

He revigatually ceased

greater reduction than the

normal seasonal decline at be hope, therefore, that the problem is finite.

this time of year. There can There are now some 25,000 boat people in Hong Kong.

2.

Enclosures flag(s)

Of those 9,500 arrived after the introduction of

No sereening decisions have yet been screening on 16 June. mit

hitial reening results indicate,

annanced but

that very few, if any, will qualify to be treated as