TNAG-1802-FCO40-2562-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-resettlement-in-the-UK-1988 — Page 8

CONFIDENTIAL

We agree that the agencies can currently probably accept those who wish to use reception centres from arrivals of 30 per month from Vietnam under ODP as well as the 20 per month from Hong Kong and an arrangement whereby the flow from Vietnam is regulated to that sort of level or less is what we seek. What concerns us here is the need for an orderly system which does not allow wide variations in arrivals in the UK and that concern is based on the practical problem of providing accommodation for the refugees on arrival. We would be glad if you would consider this aspect again.

Thank you for your offer to copy us the exit permit lists issued by the Vietnamese. Voluntary Services Unit is not currently involved in the passing of information about expected arrivals to the agencies and would not wish to become so involved without good purpose. Ideally therefore the lists should go to either the UNHCR London office or directly to the Family Reunion Coordinating Office (FRCO) at Ockenden Venture in Woking so that the UK end of the processing, such as locating relatives, can begin. The usefulness of these lists for detailed planning of reception capacity seems questionable because we understand that various conditions, such as sale of assets, payment of taxes etc, have to be met by the refugee after the issue of the exit permit but before departure. A relatively large number of people listed with exit visas need not therefore necessarily mean. a large number of people arriving here at any one time. Conversely even if the numbers listed had remained small there could be a bunching of actual departures. Very difficult judgements would have to be made about whether or not to open up a new reception centre if the numbers on the lists were especially large. There would be no way of knowing whether the trend would continue and provide any new centre with sufficient customers (financing is related to and dependent on sufficient clientele). All of this points to the need for a control mechanism as being paramount. Nevertheless, since the lists could have some usefulness I should be glad to learn whether they can be sent to the UNHCR London office or the Family Reunion Centre Coordinating Office (if they are not already).

In your letter you also say that UNHCR has kindly agreed to give the British Embassy the earliest possible notice of departures. Whilst we do not claim to be knowledgeable about the detail of the arrangements made by UNHCR in Vietnam we understand that UNHCR already tell their London office of those for whom departure arrangements have been made and these are then passed on to the FRCO. We are not aware of any involvement by the Embassy in this. If there is scope for an improvement in the period of notification it seems on the basis of what we have been told that the earliest possible notification to the UNHCR London office would be more useful then notification to the Embassy. a result of the conditions which have to be met before departure from Vietnam we gather that a definitive list can only be prepared after each flight leaves Vietnam and we understand there is some sort of check made (? in Bangkok) by UNHCR on the people on the weekly flights. Relevant details are then passed onto the London UNHCR office and then FRCO (by telex). As you can see

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