HAS THERE BEEN A PROPOSAL TO ESTABLISH AN ISLAND PROCESSING CENTRE IN SOUTH-EAST ASIA FOR REFUGEES FROM INDO-CHINA?
DSR HIC
1. Yes. The Malaysian representative made such a
proposal at the international consultations called by the
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Geneva
last December.
WILL THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT SUPPORT THIS PROPOSAL?
2. The proposal will require close and very careful
scrutiny. The United Nations High Commissioner for
Refugees is keeping in close touch with interested
governments and is making preliminary enquiries. The
British Government are sympathetic and will do what they
can to support any initiative which is likely to be in
the best interests of the refugees: but from what we have
so far heard of the proposal there are some obvious
difficulties for which a solution would have to be found.
WILL THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT PROVIDE FINANCIAL AID FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF SUCH AN ISLAND AND WILL THEY ACCEPT FOR RESETTLEMENT REFUGEES FROM THE ISLAND?
3. If the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
decided to set up such a processing centre, then the
Government would sympathetically consider providing
financial assistance to help him do so. As for resettlement,
the Government have already undertaken to be responsible
ultimately for all refugees rescued by UK-registered vessels.
In addition to this, and apart from the 1,500 Vietnamese
refugees to be admitted to Britain over the next 12-14
months, the Government will sympathetically consider
applications for resettlement here from refugees who have
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Dd 0332000 400 M 5178 HMSO Bracknell