reduced markedly (by 53% in 1983 and 39% in 1984) the
ambers arriving. We have always regarded the closed
camps as a temporary arrangement which should cease to be
necessary when the flow of illegal departures
Vietnam reduced to a trickle.
from
Within the constraints of the closed camp policy,
the Hong Kong Government seeks to do all that i t can to
It make conditions in the camps as humane as possible. They
provides the refugees with accommodation, food, medical
attention, and educational,
training
facilities.
recreational and vocational
The Hong Kong Government employs
in
the
camps.
specially recruited staff to run the closed camps, and
voluntary agencies also operate
Representatives from among the refugees discuss various
aspects of camp life at daily meetings with the Camp
Superintendent. The United Nations High Commissioner for
Refugees, Mr Poul Hartling, visited one of the closed
Camps in May and said that, although he did not like the
idea of su ch camp s he " found the circumstances, the
conditions, very encouraging".
Mrs Course referred in her letter to our acceptance
of 500 more refugees. This is an estimate of the number
of refugees in camps in Hong Kong and elsewhere in South
East Ai sa who might benefit from the relaxation of
present criteria on family reunion announced by the Home
Secretary in September. I hope that this initiative will
encourage other countries to accept further refugees from
Hong Kong. We are now actively pressing them to do
so.