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REPATRIATED DAILY. THERE IS ALWAYS THE DANGER THAT FURTHER
ABSORPTION BY HONG KONG WOULD TRIGGER MORE DEPARTURES FROM
VIETNAM. HOWEVER, IF THE FLOW OF VIETNAMESE ARRIVALS CAN BE
SLOWED AND AN ADEQUATE WAY FOUND TO DEAL WITH FUTURE ARRIVALS,
WOULD BE REASONABLE TO EXPECT HONG KONG TO ABSORB A PROPORTION OF
THOSE IN CENTRES, AS PART OF A GENERAL PROGRAMME OF RESETTLEMENT
OR REPATRIATION FOR THE REMAINDER.
(C) REGIONAL INTEGRATION
IT
UNHCR PREFER THIS TO MORE DISTANT RESETTLEMENT. BUT HONG KONG'S
NEIGHBOURS HAVE REFUGEE PROBLEMS OF THEIR OWN AND WOULD NOT
WELCOME ANY ADDITIONAL BURDEN. THAILAND, WHICH HAS ABSORBED SOME
REFUGEES, HAS RULED OUT THE POSSIBILITY OF ABSORBING ANY MORE.
(D) INCREASED RESETTLEMENT
WE SHOULD CONTINUE TO ENCOURAGE OTHER RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES,
BOTH DIRECTLY AND THROUGH UNHCR, TO TAKE MORE. BUT, FOR THE
REASONS IN PARA 9 ABOVE, WE SHALL HAVE DIFFICULTY. THERE ARE
THREE POSSIBLE OPTIONS WHICH MIGHT BE CONSIDERED:
(I) THE UK MIGHT TAKE A FURTHER QUOTA.
OUR EFFORTS TO PERSUADE OTHER COUNTRIES TO TAKE MORE ARE UNLIKELY
TO BE EFFECTIVE UNTIL WE CAN SHOW THAT WE ARE WILLING TO TAKE
MORE OURSELVES. (THE PRESENT SCORRI ENQUIRY INTO VIETNAMESE
REFUGEES IS ADDRESSING THIS QUESTION.) CLEARLY A PREREQUISITE FOR
ANY SUCCESSFUL CAMPAIGN TO INCREASE OFFTAKE ELSEWHERE IS
AGREEMENT TO ADMIT MORE REFUGEES HERE, PREFERABLY ON A CONTINUING
QUOTA.
(II) TRAINING SCHEMES
UNHCR CONSIDER THAT RESETTLEMENT PROSPECTS WOULD IMPROVE IF
REFUGEES ACQUIRED THE SKILLS NEEDED TO WORK IN INDUSTRIALISED
SOCIETIES. THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT HAVE ALREADY DEVOTED
CONSIDERABLE ATTENTION AND RESOURCES TO PROVIDING TRAINING
OPPORTUNITIES. THEY SEEK TO PROVIDE EDUCATIONAL AND VOCATIONAL
TRAINING, WITH EMPHASIS ON ENGLISH, IN ALL THE GOVERNMENT-RUN REFUGEE CENTRES. THE VOLUNTARY AGENCIES RUN SIMILAR PROGRAMMES
IN THE OPEN CENTRES. IN THE HEI LING CHAU CLOSED CENTRE, WHICH
IS FOR NORTH VIETNAMESE AND WHERE AS A RESULT THE RESETTLEMENT
RATE IS LOWEST AND POTENTIAL INTEGRATION PROBLEMS ARE GREATER,
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