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MDHIAN 3700
PERHAPS REVIEW ITS QUOTA AND AGREE TO TAKE MORE VIETNAMESE REFUGEES
FROM HONG KONG FOR RESETTLEMENT?
"
A: WELL, OBVIOUSLY WE HAVE GOT TO CONTINUE TO KEEP OUR EYE ON AT I APPRECIATE, IS A VERY DIFFICULT SITUATION. BUT I THINK, IN MY OPENING REMARKS, I MADE IT QUITE CLEAR THAT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I HAVE INSTRUCTED TO HAPPEN IS THAT OUR AMBASSADOR TO VIETNAM SHOULD MAKE A FURTHER APPROACH TO THE VIETNAMESE GOVERNMENT, TO TAKE FORWARD VERY MUCH THE CONCERNS WHICH YOU REGISTER.
ON THE SECOND POINT ABOUT COSTS, THE SITUATION AT THE MOMENT IS THAT WE, THE UNITED KINGDOM GOVERNMENT, FUND THE UNITED NATIONS HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES AND WE CONTRIBUTE TO THEIR FUNDS AND
THE UNITED NATIONS HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES PAYS COSTS TOWARDS THE EFFORT OF KEEPING PEOPLE IN THE CAMPS THAT THEY ARE IN
HERE. SO THE COSTS MATTER IS ALREADY TAKEN CARE OF.
Q. (SALLY BLYTH): WHAT ABOUT THE SHORTER-TERM SOLUTION THOUGH OF ACCEPTING MORE REFUGEES FROM HONG KONG FOR RESETTLEMENT?
A:
I THINK YOU HAVE GOT TO LOOK AT THE HISTORY OF IT ALL. AS I SAID, WE'VE ACCEPTED SOME NEARLY 13,000 OVER THE LAST 12 OR SO YEARS. WE ARE, IN FACT ABOUT THIRD IN THE LEAGUE TABLE OF COUNTRIES THAT HAVE ACCEPTED THEM AND THE IDEA OF TAKING THESE EXTRA, MORE THAN 450, IS TO TRY AND STIMULATE OTHER COUNTRIES TO BEAR THEIR SHARE OF THE RESPONSIBILITIES TOWARDS THESE REFUGEES..
Q.
(STUART PALLISTER, ATV): YOU SAID THAT BRITAIN HAS TAKEN 13,000 BUT THAT'S FAIRLY NEGLIGIBLE COMPARED TO THE UNITED STATES, AUSTRALIA AND CANADA. AUSTRALIA AND CANADA HAVE TAKEN 180,000
BETWEEN THEM. AMERICA MORE THAN HALF A MILLION. IS IT NOT TIME FOR
BRITAIN TO TAKE A LEAD ON THIS ISSUE?
A:
M
WELL, I THINK YOU'VE GOT TO GET IT INTO PROPORTION. DO REMEMBER THAT THEY ARE, BOTH THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA ARE, FOR EXAMPLE, AND AUSTRALIA ARE CONSIDERABLY LARGER COUNTRIES IN THEIR OWN RIGHT. SECONDLY, WE DO HAVE A MAJOR IMMIGRATION ISSUE OURSELVES TO CONTEND WITH AND WE HAVE TO LOOK AT THIS MATTER IN THE
ROUND. THERE IS CONSIDERABLE PRESSURE ON OUR OWN IMMIGRATION SERVICES AND THESE REFUGEES, AND THE NUMBERS WE'VE TAKEN I THINK ARE NOT REALLY QUITE AS BAD A PICTURE AS YOU PAINT. THIRD IN THE
LEAGUE TABLE IS NOT A BAD POSITION TO BE IN. NEARLY 13,000 IS A CONSIDERABLE NUMBER.
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