Mr C Haswell
Hong Kong Department
FCO
UNACCOMPANIED MINORS IN HONG KONG
HKB
RECEIVED!N
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INDEX
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צי
O 6 MAR 1990
CEN
EGISTRY
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Action Taken
I am aware from telegrams and correspondence from DOH of concerns about:
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a) identifying unaccompanied minors and
b) appropriate consideration of their future including status.
Whilst this is very much outside my formal remit you should know that I am very much aware of the concern that exists among voluntary agency personnel here about the attachment of unaccompanied minors to other adults in Hong Kong (and on arrival in the UK). There are indications that the arrangements made are often at best not well considered in terms of the child's best interests and at worst rather less than voluntary.
It would appear that b) above is being tackled in Hong Kong (at least for clearly unaccompanied minors under 16) but I would not necessarily assume that repatriation is not on the agenda - it lies amongst the discussions that take place.
My point of writing is to put you in touch with 2 excellent voluntary sector people who may be able to assist you further if you do not already have contact with them. They are:-
Audrey Moser - retired Director General of International Social Service (ISS) Geneva
Ros Finlay currently at Save the Children Fund/Refugee Council - telephone number 740-8501.
A call to Ros Finlay can also put you in touch with Audrey Moser (they work together in this field).
There is a wealth of material being produced by Ros and Audrey on unaccompanied minors and I leave it up to you how much of it you seek from them. There is also a conference being organised by them aimed at UK domestic interests, on 6 February.
I am copying this to Peter Wrench, IND, as IND will obviously have to agree any further proposals which may arise to bring