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KAN
V NO. 51
Mr S Bari
Regional Section of Asia
Office of the United Nations
High Commissioner for Refugees Centre William Rappard
GENEVA
WNDEX
PA
an
по
23 May 1979
Dear it. Bari,
When I called on Mr Moussali on 14 May the question was raised about refugees in Hong Kong being allowed to work. I think that the correct channel for clarifying this sort of issue is between the Hong Kong authorities and the UNHCR representative there. However, for your information the following is my own understanding of the position.
Until recently refugees transferred to UNHCR care were landed as "visitors". One of the conditions of stay of such persons is that they are not allowed to take any employment whether paid or unpaid. However, many were in fact working and it was not practic- able to stop this since for one thing many were living in boarding houses. Faced with this situation it was therefore decided to regularise the status of these refugees so that they are permitted to work.
However, in discussion with the UNHCR representative, the Hong Kong authorities have said that if there is a deterioration in the general employment situation, the arrangements may have to be changed.
Refugees under UNHCR care are given free lodging including electricity (which is not available to all Hong Kong residents) and a food allowance. Until it was recently reduced the latter was more generous than payments under the Hong Kong public assistance scheme. Thus refugees are more generously provided for than are Hong Kong residents. The possibility of refugees not always being able to work must be viewed against this fact.
If UNHCR were to devise a scheme by which refugees who were working paid for their board and lodging, this would not only ease UNHCR's financial burden, but would also counter any public criticism that the provision of free services for refugees puts them as prospective workers in a privileged position. It would be particu- larly hard to justify this position if the employment situation deteriorates, as it must do sometime.
/This