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f i 10 DOWNING STREET From the Private Secretary 19 April 1977 *\^ i If* President Amin's Children Your office informed us today that President Amin's two children, aged 3 and 6, arrived at Stansted Airport late last week with a doctor and two secretaries, and were staying at the Uganda High Commission for a holiday in the UK. I understand that they have permits to remain here for two months. I reported this to the Prime Minister this afternoon, who has asked that the Home Secretary, in consultation with the Foreign and Commonwealth Secretary, should give urgent consideration to the possibility of returning the two children to Uganda. In suggesting this, the Prime Minister has particularly in mind the risk that, if the children are allowed to remain here, President Amin might subsequently claim their stay here as a reason for him to visit the UK himself, and might interpret the permission given to them as an indication that we were not prepared to take any firm action to exclude the President himself from entering the UK. Consideration would of course have to be given to the grounds for returning the children to Uganda in this way, if that were done. Une possibility, which the Prime Minister would like examinee is that an explanation might be given to President Amin that we could not guarantee the children's security in this country, therebj giving him some advance warning of our likely reaction to any attempt by himself to visit London for the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting. The Prime Minister has however emphasised that he attaches great importance to avoiding any publicity about the return of the children until they were out of the country, and has asked whether, in the Home Secretary's view, it would be possible to undertake an operation of this sort without any publicity. I should be grateful if you could let me have the Home Secretary views on this as soon as possible, and at the latest by close of pla on Wednesday 20 April. I am sending a copy of this letter to Ewen Fergusson (Foreign and Commonwealth Office) and Martin Vile (Cabinet Office). P. R. H. WRIGHT R.M. Morris, Esq., Home Office, V -,f j. ) f.m $