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WEDNESDAY, MAY 21, 1975
HONG KONG TO CONTINUE SEEKING NEW HOMES OVERSEAS FOR VIETNAMESE REFUGEES HERE
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THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT WILL CONTINUE PRESSING OTHER COUNTRIES TO TAKE AS MANY OF THE REMAINING 3,400-ODD VIETNAMESE REFUGEES AS POSSIBLE STILL IN SPECIAL CAMPS HERE, THE COLONIAL SECRETARY, THE HON. DENYS ROBERTS, TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY.
HAD ASKED
THE BRITISH AND HONG KONG GOVERNMENTS, HE SAID ABOUT 20 COUNTRIES TO ACCEPT AS MANY OF THE REFUGEES AS POSSIBLE AND INITIAL REACTION HAD BEEN SYMPATHETIC.
ABOUT 450 OF THE REFUGEES HAD EITHER LEFT FOR OTHER COUNTRIES OR WERE BEING CONSIDERED OR PROCESSED FOR ONWARD MOVEMENT ELSEWHERE, BUT THIS STILL LEFT HONG KONG WITH THE HEAVY TASK OF CARING FOR OVER 3,400.
MR. ROBERTS WAS SPEAKING IN REPLY TO A QUESTION FROM THE HON. HILTON CHEONG-LEEN WHO WANTED TO KNOW WHAT WAS BEING DONE TO ASSIMILATE SOME OF THE REFUGEES INTO THE HONG KONG SOCIETY, AND WHAT STEPS WERE BEING TAKEN TO URGE OTHER COUNTRIES TO TAKE THEM.
THE COLONIAL SECRETARY SAID ABOUT 200 HAD EXPRESSED A WISH TO SETTLE IN HONG KONG, AND SO FAR PERMISSION HAD BEEN GIVEN TO 33 TO REMAIN IN HONG KONG.
+THOSE WHO CAN ESTABLISH CONNECTIONS WITH HONG KONG AND WHO CAN SUPPORT THEMSELVES OR HAVE SPONSORS WHO WILL SUPPORT THEM WILL BE PERMITTED TO STAY,+ HE SAID,
ALL THE 3,909 REFUGEES ACCOMMODATED IN THE SPECIAL CAMPS HAD DEEN ASKED WHETHER THEY CLAIMED CONNECTIONS WITH ANY PARTICULAR COUNTRY AND WHERE THEY WOULD LIKE TO SETTLE.
MR. ROBERTS SAID CANADA HAD ALREADY RECEIVED 53 OF THEM AND ANOTHER 30 WOULD FLY THERE THIS WEEK. HE WAS HOPEFULL THAT CANADA WOULD TAKE MORE.
FRANCE HAD ALREADY APPROVED THE ISSUE OF VISAS FOR 42 AND WOULD ACCEPT OTHERS WHO HAVE CULTURAL LINKS WITH THAT COUNTRY, WHILE BELGIUM WAS CONSIDERING ISSUING VISAS TO 22.
THE UNITED STATES HAD ALREADY FLOWN OUT 67 REFUGEES FROM THE CAMPS, AND A FURTHER 200 HAD BEEN PROCESSED FOR ONWARD MOVEMENT TO THE U.S. IN THE NEAR FUTURE. SEVERAL OTHER COUNTRIES HAVE ALSO OFFERED TO CONSIDER ACCEPTING OTHER REFUGEES.
/MR. KODERTS