1
•
[3]
He had mentioned the implications of relaxing the family reunion criteria and had mentioned that Vietnamese tended to have very large families.
Mr Waddington stated that 184 Vietnamese refugees had been admitted to the UK in 1983, not all of whom satisfied the strict family reunion criteria. Martin Barber pointed out that it was not clear whether this number included those refugees who had been granted permission under the old family reunion criteria and whose arrival had been delayed by the length of time involved in processing exit visas from Vietnam.
Mr Waddington said the UK had a continuing commitment to refugees through boat rescues and the Orderly Departure programme. 1,100 refugees had been resettled in the UK in 1983 through these criteria, though the figure was much less in 1984. Mr Waddington had pointed out that even if the UK took more refugees there was no firm commitment from other countries of resettlement that they would accept more.
Mr Waddington had mentioned that the Home Office had given no undertaking to refugees when they were interviewed in Hong Kong that members of their families who arrived later would be admitted to the UK. He said that a misunderstanding may have arisen through misin- terpretation of previous resettlement policy.
Claire Short, a member of the SCORRI, had stated her belief in the need for a package of measures which would address the root causes of the problem and would examine the issue of aid to vietnam. Mr Waddington had not disagreed.
Mr Waddington said that the UK Government had never been criticised by UNHCR with respect to its responsibilities under refugee conventions.
4.3 "Behind Barbed Wire"
The Chairman reported on the publicity that had arisen as a result of the press conference launching the bulletin "Behind Bared Wire".
There had been no coverage in the British national press, though there had been coverage in other publications. The Chairman had spoken on the radio on the "Today" programme, on Radio One, and on a programme networked to BBC local radio stations. He reported that responses he had received from the public had been hostile in tone. A letter in his name had been sent to all MPs who had visited Hong Kong recently together with the bulletin. Replies had been mainly favourable. Some had written to Ministers, and others had agreed to join an all-party delegation of MPs to Mr Waddington which was to be lead by David Howell and Jeremy Bray.
Five MPs had raised the issue of Vietnamese refugees during the debate in the House of Commons on the Sino-British agreement on Hong Kong. Vietnamese refugees had also been mentioned in the wind- up to the debate in the House of Lords.
The Chairman had also spoken to the Governor of Hong Kong, Sir Edward Youde.