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c) Some of the Vietnamese children were doing very well at school. One boy in the care of Ockenden since 1975 had a place at Essex University. There was a problem about LEA grants available only after three years residence. This had been taken by the SCOR Europe and Africa Committees and by a working party of the rele t agencies.
d) Family reunion cases were being received from countries of first · asylum and direct from Vietnam. This would be extended by the recent
agreement between UNHCR and the Government in Hanoi.
INDO-CHINESE REFUGEES IN SOUTH EAST ASIA
a) Miss Sandra Singer (BRCS) had gone to help the Hong Kong Red Cross with a tracing service for Indo-Chinese refugees- a good procedure had already been set up in Malaysia.
bl The Cambodians arriving across the Thai border near Aranyaprathet were in a very poor condition and the new camp where they were housed was unsatisfactory, often flooded. Cambodians were kept separate from other refugees because of possible infiltration. Families were sometimes separated.
Mr. Heidler agreed that, if evidence of this could be provided, he would ask UNHCR Geneva to approach the Thai Government to try and ensure family reunion in these cases.
c) A list was circulated of grants promised by ODM to refugee projects in 1978/79. So far nearly £110, 000 had been allocated to agencies working in Thailand. It was hoped that this support would continue.
d) Ockenden had received a first report from John Bygate who was setting up the project for vocational training of young refugees in some camps in Thailand.
e) Some anxiety was expressed about the selection by some countries of the best educated and skilled refugees for resettlement in other countries. The UK had tried within limits to select from need rather than background but other countries had taken many of the leaders. The Thai Government would be faced with a problem of what to do with the hard core. The USA had changed its policy somewhat in the last 6 months and were now basing selection more on
for departure and had recently accepted refugees from the hill tribes.
BALUCH REFUGEES IN AFGHANISTAN
A paper prepared by Mrs. Mary Dines (War on Want) on Baluch Refugees from Pakistan in Afghanistan had been circulated.
Mrs. Dines referred to important and functional issues which should be of concern to the international community and the voluntary agencies.
For generations there had been conflicts over the position of the Raluchs who were Muslims of a special sect and were spread over a number of different countries; especially in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iran. The recent chaotic conditions in these countries had caused increased problems. At present there were some 4700 in a very bleak area of Afghanistan and more were expected to arrive
from Pakistan. So far the help of UNHCR and ICRC had not been asked for but, although the Baluchs had been trying themselves to
raise money from other sources, the problem had increased so greatly that it was now a matter f international agencies.
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