し
criteria to Vietnamese
minor children of a
admitted, except in
problem of refugees
as to other
refugees; only the spouse and
Vietnamese refugee already in Britain can be
exceptional cases. Referring to the special
of evidence to the Subcomi in Hong Kong, the FCO Memorandum said that
Britain was working with the UNHCR and other countries to find
practical solutions for all of them as soon as possible.
The Sub-Committee's Report, issued on 18 April 1985, said that while
Britain had a good record on accepting Vietnamese refugees, greater
efforts should be made in training them and teaching them English.
It recommended that the
camps in Hong Kong should be
abolished and that Britain
provide at least 500 more places
closed
should
for Vietnamese boat people, since
more might persuade other countries
even a modest commitment to take
to increase their quotas.
In the House of Commons on
24 May 1985, Mr Luce, Minister of State
at the FCO, said that many more resettlement places would have to be
found for the refugees currently in places of first asylum,
HIG's the Hong Kong particularly Hong Kong. He also stated that it was the Government'
aim to see the closed camps in Hong Kong terminated as soon a8
possible. On 5 June, he and other FCO officials had talks in London
with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees who h ad just been
The discussions were said to have been useful
visiting Hong Kong.
and wide-ranging.
LAOS AND CAMBODIA
to
In
The flight from these two countries has been mainly over the border
Thailand. Laotians seek refuge because of continuing
of continuing rejection
of government policies and problems of internal security. Cambodia, both the horrors of Khmer Rouge rule in 1975-78 and flight
from the Vietnamese invasion of December 1978 caused large-scale
departures. The situation in Thailand had became so serious during
1979 that at the end of the year holding camps were established for
up to 300,000 refugees and displaced persons.
Vietnam launched its heaviest offensive since 1979 against the
resistance groups, overrunning all
the main camps on the
Thai/Cambodian border, causing over 230,000 Cambodians to flee into
These, however, are not considered eligible
Thailand.
Last November,
for
settlement.
Page 105Page 106