TNAG-1802-FCO40-2562-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-resettlement-in-the-UK-1988 — Page 285

98

CONFIDENTIAL

FM FCO

TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG

TELNO 2641

OF 10100OZ OCTOBER 88

CONFIDENTIAL

MKD 243 1 POP CUPY

243112

11 OCT 1988

O DIST *

004014 MDHOAN 6332

PERSONAL FOR GOVERNOR FROM HUM

VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE IN HONG KONG: POSSIBLE UK RESETTLEMENT COMMITMENT.

1.

OVER A

WE HAVE NOW RESUMED OUR DISUSSION WITH THE HOME OFFICE

POSSIBLE ADDITIONAL UK COMMITMENT. MR RENTON TOLD THE SECRETARY OF STATE THAT ONE OF HIS MAIN CONCERNS ABOUT RESETTLEMENT OF VIETNAMESE WAS THE VERY POOR STANDARD OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE ABILITY AMONG THE VIETNAMESE COMMUNITY HERE, EVEN THOSE WHO HAD BEEN HERE FOR SEVERAL YEARS. THIS WAS BOUND TO BE A FACTOR IN

HE WAS KEEN

THE HIGH LEVEL OF VIETNAMESE UNEMPLOYMENT.

THEREFORE THAT HONG KONG SHOULD DO AS MUCH AS IT COULD TO IMPROVE TRAINING, IN PARTICULAR ENGLISH LANGUAGE TRAINING.

2.

THE SECRETARY OF STATE SAID THAT HONG KONG DID HAVE A TRAINING PROGRAMME, AND YOU WERE ALSO ADDRESSING THE QUESTION OF SCHOOLING FOR VIETNAMESE CHILDREN. HE UNDERTOOK TO LET THE

HOME OFFICE HAVE FURTHER DETAILS.

3.

WE WOULD BE GRATEFUL FOR ANY INFORMATION YOU CAN LET US

HAVE ON THIS. THE

BRITISH REFUGEE COUNCIL RECENTLY RAISED THE QUESTION OF INCREASED INVOLVEMENT OF VOLUNTARY AGENCIES IN HONG KONG WITH INDIVIDUALS

SELECTED FOR RESETTLEMENT IN THE UK.

A COPY OF LORD ENNAL'S

LETTER TO THE SECRETARY OF STATE AND HIS REPLY HAS BEEN PASSED

TO YOU BY BAG.

IF A NEW COMMITMENT WERE TO BE MADE WOULD IT BE

POSSIBLE TO ARRANGE A STEPPED UP PROGRAMME THROUGH THE BRITISH VOLUNTARY AGENCIES FOR THOSE SELECTED FOR RESETTLEMENT IN THE UK?

WE HAVE ALREADY CONVEYED TO THE HOME OFFICE THE ASSURANCE

YOU GAVE LORD GLENARTHUR DURING YOUR LAST VISIT TO LONDON THAT THE

HONG KONG GOVERNMENT WOULD ASSIST IN IDENTIFYING REFUGEES WITH

LINGUISTIC AND OTHER SKILLS WHOSE ABILITY TO ADAPT TO LIFE IN THE

UK WOULD BE CORRESPONDINGLY GREATER.

4.

HOWE

YYYY

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