A
B
PERMISSION TO TAKE EMPLOYMENT
We could not agree to remove employment restrictions from all asylum seekers; apart from anything else, this would be likely to stimulate asylum applications
But I from people solely as a means of avoiding restrictions on employment. am prepared to agree to BRC's alternative suggestion, so that we would normally be prepared to vary conditions to permit employment upon application six months. after submissions of the asylum application.
INDEFINITE LEAVE TO REMAIN FOR REFUGEES
We cannot agree to granting refugees settlement at the time that they are first granted refugee status, but we shall consider granting them four years' leave at the outset instead of one year followed by three as at present.
INFORMAL CONSULTATION WITH REFUGEE GROUPS
We very much welcome BRC's suggestion that the Immigration and Nationality Department should have an informal meeting with refugee groups, on a similar basis to the meetings it has been holding on general immigration issues around the country.
We should welcome BRC's advice on the arrangements, and particularly the groups that should be included.
LAOTIANS AND CAMBODIANS
In your letter of 22 October you asked whether our acceptance of the recommendatio that family reunion criteria should be relaxed in respect of Vietnamese in camps in countries of temporary asylum applied to refugees from Laos and Cambodia in camps in Thailand. As you point out, the Select Committee made clear that its reference to "Vietnamese" were intended to include Cambodians and Laotians, and I can confirm that our acceptance of the recommendation was on the same basis. Relaxation of the family reunion criteria applies, of course, only to refugees in camps in countries of temporary asylum, arid would not therefore apply to those Cambodians in Vietnam (the third list of those attached to BRC's letter to Mr McDowall).
UNACCOMPANIED MINORS
You also asked whether we could take a further samll number of unaccompanied minors from Hong Kong. Our present priority is of course the family reuinion programme, and I would prefer to take this a little further before considering further admissions.
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