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September 26, 1985
NOT FOR PUBLICATION, BROADCAST, OR USE ON CLUB TAPES BEFORE 14.30 HOURS 26 SEPTEMBER 1985 THIS DOCUMENT IS ISSUED IN ADVANCE ON THE STRICT UNDERSTANDING THAT NO APPROACH BE MADE TO ANY ORGANISATION OR PERSON ABOUT ITS CONTENTS BEFORE THE TIME OF PUBLICATION
REFUGEES: THE GOVERNMENT'S REPLY TO THE HOME AFFAIRS COMMITTEE REPORT
The Government's reply* to the Third Report of the Home Affairs Committee
(1984-85 Session), on Refugees and Asylum with Special Reference to the
Vietnamese, is published today [2.30 pm, September 26].
In particular,
The Government has accepted many of the Committee's recommendations.
it has agreed to the reunion with their families in Britain of Vietnamese refugees
in the camps in Hong Kong. It has decided to increase its funding and to
extend the programme for a further year; and it is taking measures to reduce
the time taken to decide asylum applications.
The Committee's report was published in April, and was in three parts covering:
Vietnamese refugees in Hong Kong, the Vietnamese in Britain, and refugee procedures
generally. In its reply, the Government acknowledges its gratitude to the
Committee for its timely, comprehensive and careful report, and accepts many
of the Committee's recommendations.
PART I
While acknowledging that Britain's record in accepting Vietnamese refugees
was a good one, the Committee made a number of recommendations designed to
revive the international resettlement programme; to reduce the burden on
Hong Kong and to reunite those in the camps with their families here. The
Government will take action on these points. The family reunion criteria
for Vietnamese at present in camps in countries of temporary asylum is to
be relaxed resulting in about 500 Vietnames refugees, most of them in Hong Kong,
*Cmnd 9626: HMSO: £3.30