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HOME AFFAIRS SUB-COMMITTEE ON RACE RELATIONS AND IMMIGRATION: INQUIRY INTO REFUGEES
II RESPONSES TO POSSIBLE QUESTIONS
Has the UK tried to obtain firm undertakings or reciprocal
action from other resettlement countries with "sufficient
vigour and enthusiasm"?
(See paras 159 and 161 of Home Office evidence.)
9 Both we and the Hong Kong Government maintain regular dialogue
with other resettlement countries, both bilaterally and through
UNHCR (for details see below). We have constantly drawn to
their attention the urgent need for the provision of more
resettlement places for the refugees at present in Hong Kong.
However we have not been able to extract firm undertakings from
those countries that they would take more on condition that the
UK took the lead, because we have never been in a position to
demonstrate our own willingness to take the lead.
Bilateral and Multilateral approaches to other governments and
UNHCR
10 In May 1983 we consulted the governments of all the principal
resettlement countries to seek their views on the merits of a
joint approach to the Vietnamese to urge them to step up the
Orderly Departure Programme which stemmed originally from a UK
initiative in 1979 in order to check the outflow of refugees from Vietnam. Only one government expressed interest in the idea of
a multilateral approach to the Vietnamese. Such an approach was
unlikely to be worthwhile without wide support. We therefore
saw no alternative but to abandon the idea for the time being.
11 At the same time we urged all those governments to step up
their resettlement of refugees from Hong Kong. None responded.
We have of course remained in constant touch with those govern-
ments, who have shown sympathy for Hong Kong's predicament but see
this as a matter in which we as the responsible power must
take the initiative.
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