TNAG-0793-FCO40-997-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1978 — Page 329

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212. Expenditures under UNHCR's Special Programme of assistance to displaced persons

m Indo-China in various countries amounted in 1977 to $4.5 million, including 4 million for travel for those admitted to other countries for resettlement. The assistance provided is described in the country or area summaries below, which also cover activities in 1977 under UNHCR's General Programmes in the countries concerned. Expenditures for the latter totalled some $1,148,000, of which nearly $620,000 were for assistance to refugees in Malaysia.

213. Other refugees who have benefited from assistance under UNHCR's General Programmes in Asia included individuals in various countries such as India, Iran, the United Arab Emirates and the Yemen Arab Republic, for whom measures to meet immediate needs or to facilitate longer-term solutions were implemented.

(a) Hong Kong

214. Over 1,000 displaced persons arrived in Hong Kong by boat in 1977, many of them having been rescued at sea. Resettlement opportunities were made available for over 700 of this number. Pending departure care and maintenance costs were met by UNHCR, acting in co-operation with the Hong Kong authorities. Expenditures under the Special Programmes for this purpose totalled some $702,000.

215. Assistance while awaiting resettlement was also provided by JNHCR under its General Programmes to European refugees in transit in Hong Kong. This assistance was implemented, as in previous years, by the World Council of Churches at a cost to UNHCR of $175,000.

(b) Indonesia

216. The arrival in 1977 of an additional 657 displaced persons from Indo-China brought their total to 923,of whom 744 were accepted for resettlement. At the request of the Indonesian Government, care and maintenance costs, amounting to some $275,000 pending departure, were met by UNHCR from Special Programme funds.

(c) Japan

217. Agreements were concluded by UNHCR with a number of voluntary agencies to ensure the care and mainterance of displaced persons arriving in Japan, whose number rose to 1,197 of whom 828 had been accepted for resettlement by the end of 1977. To ease their situation while awaiting departure, authorization to seek temporary employment has been granted by the Japanese Government. UNHCR's expenditures for assistance dispensed by the voluntary agencies totalled over $1,004,000 in 1977.

(d) Malaysia

218. The number of new arrivals from Indo-China to Malaysia increased rapidly during 1977, from 1,100 at the beginning of the year to 6,974 by 31 December. Many were accepted for resettlement in third countries. However, further arrivals early in 1978 have brought the caseload of those given temporary asylum to 4,216. To ensure more efficient co-ordination of assistance, the Malaysian Government, in consultation with UNHCR, decided to group the displaced persons in centres at Kuala Trengganu and at Pulau Tengah.

219. In addition to helping meet temporary care and maintenance costs and facilitating resettlement from Malaysia, UNHCR has also been called upon to assist

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