THE HOME AFFAIRS SUB-COMMITTEE ON RACE RELATIONS AND IMMIGRATION 155
4 February 1985]
[Chairman Contd.]
MR R LUCE, MP, MR A C GALSWORTHY, DR D C WILSON and MR D CARTER
Refugee Council. We have been looking into this. Certainly it is something we are watching all the time. There are now other voluntary bodies who have nothing to do with evangelism of any kind, like Save the Children Fund, who are getting involved in these camps. This is something we are encouraging.
245. Thank you. To conclude, if I may, is the United Kingdom continuing to give promises of entry under the Orderly Depar- ture Programme; and at what rate?
(Mr Luce.) I would again, on the most detailed question about the rate, ask Mr Galsworthy to answer. Yes, we have got considerable commitments under the Or- derly Departure Programme. As I said earlier, we have already taken 2,000 under this, and we have clear commitments, as I understand it, to another 2,000. Perhaps I could ask Dr Carter to add more detail.
(Dr Carter.) I have no further specific figures, but we have a continuing com- mitment under the ODP. As Mr Luce has said, at the moment we have about 2,000 cases in the pipeline. That does not, of course, preclude further cases as time goes
on.
* Home Office figures for 1984: 468 Visa Promise Letters issued for relatives in Vietnam
[Continued
246. But are we taking on more? (Dr Carter.) Yes, it is a continuing programme.
247. What is the family reunion criterion for the programme?
(Dr Carter.) The criterion is, as far as I understand it, a standard one which at present involves spouses and children.
(Mr Luce.) This has been pursued since 1981, I think. The actual criterion is spouses and dependent children.
(Dr Carter.) Minor children.
(Mr Luce.) Yes, spouses and minor chil- dren.
Chairman: Mr Luce, this is the last session on this Inquiry, and it is fitting that you should come to assist us at this stage. The Committee of course does understand and fully appreciate just how complicated this issue is. Alas, there are no easy solutions that we can recommend, or that you can implement. Suffice to say that we have very great concern for some aspects of the refugee problem in Hong Kong, and we have expressed that concern to you today. We are very grateful to you for the way in which you have assisted us, the frankness of your answers and the detail that you have provided for us. We also thank the officials who have accompanied you and who have also contributed to our work this afternoon. We are very grateful to you.
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