If in the future, whilst refugees are here, jobs become more difficult, the presence of a large labour force of refugees in an advantageous location and with free board and lodging would give rise to resentment and friction. It is already doing so. Moreover if refugees once start to work it is obviously going to be difficult to discontinue the practice at a later date. There may also be difficulties if refugees from one camp are allowed to work whilst those from another are not. If, as is possible, the number of refugees have reaches say 60,000 with some in camps where jobs are not available close by, it seems inevitable that not all refugees will be able to work. It might therefore be better to decide that refugees should not work and gradually phase out their employment. Alternatively a scheme by which those who work.contribute to their board and lodging will be examined. This issue does not require an immediate solution but it is one to which further consideration will be given and a separate submission made to Honourable Members.
Management
27
In other countries where camps are run for UNHCR sometimes Governments manage them and, less frequently, voluntary organisations are responsible. The local representative of UNHCR has no strong views on how any future camp in Hong Kong should be managed except that he feels that the UNHCR does not have the capability to manage camps itself.
28
The balance of advantage seems to lie with having any large new camp managed by Government. It seems unlikely that voluntary agencies have the organisational capability of undertaking such a task, especially as there is no readily available reservoir of people with the necessary experience of this work which could be used by the agencies. Government, on the other hand, has the necessary infrastructure upon which the officers engaged in this work could draw as necessary, though initially it may mean that some services are reduced by posting officers from other duties to Vietnamese refugee duties.
Financial Aspects
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It is very difficult to give any clear indication of what the costs involved in this exercise might be, primarily because it is not known how many refugees will need to be accommodated and because various decisions on the management of the camp, which will have an effect on costs for security measures and on staff required, still have to be taken. A very
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