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Against this background, the Hong Kong Government introduced in July 1982 a policy of placing newly arriving refugees in closed centres, from which they are not permitted to seek outside employment. This step was taken with great reluctance, but it was considered essential to try to discourage people from setting out from Vietnam for Hong Kong. The arrival rate has since slowed but a flow nevertheless continues. We and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) are working hard to secure permanent resettlement for the 11,800 refugees who are now there. Unfortunately, as long as the problem lasts, the Hong Kong Government can see no alternative but to continue the policy of closed centres. The centres are run in co-operation with UNHCR, who help to fund them.
I am of course aware of the British Refugee Council (BRC)'s recommendation for changes to the closed centre policy. I have received a copy of their report "Behind Barbed Wire", and I have had a useful and wide-ranging discussion of the problem with David Ennals, Chairman of the Asia Committee of the BRC, and his colleagues. I share their concern for the wellbeing of the refugees and, as I made clear when I gave evidence to the Race Relations and Immigration Sub-Committee on 4 February, I would like nothing better than to see the end of the closed centre policy. It is neither satisfactory nor desirable, and our objective must be to achieve a durable solution as fast as possible. The Hong Kong Government also shares these views. If the flow of arrivals dried up, and we are successful in our efforts to resettle those now in the centres, the policy will cease to be necessary. The sooner this happens, the better pleased we should be.
I am returning the enclosure to your letter, a copy of which has been retained for our files.
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Rud