DSR 110
/though unless it'
is universally observed it willf discriminate in favour of the refugee burden against those governments who offer such
liberal entry at their ports.
are fairly treated in the distribution of offers of final
The High Commissioner might assess numbers
resettlement.
awaiting resettlement every six months, and allocate offers
in proportion for the six months to come.
Fourthly, we must have concern for the plight of land
refugees from Laos and Cambodia, many of whom may need to be
resettled within South-East Asia. The pressure on Thailand
is acute and will worsen if famine occurs in Cambodia: this
too the international community must help avert.
It ..
portmut for
Lould otse hope that this meeting wt help to
resolve the problem of refugees res ued at sea, to whom
most states in the region now refuse even temporary asylum.
The British Government will ensure, so far as this is
possible, that captains of British Flag vessels hold to the
There is international obligations to save life at sea.
But the legislation in Britain to give effect to this.
principle that such people are landed and accepted at the
first port of call of the vessel, was established in
circumstances far different from what we now see off the
Coin, Jur coasts of Asia. We should show much of this principle
>
can be restored, 7 The British Government has no wish to discourage those states which have given guarantees of
automatic resettlement to refugees rescued by its vessels,
we believe that those refugees already in camps have a right
to prior consideration, and that a way should be found of
There adding refugees rescued at sea to the overall queue.
may be a role here for transit centres where such refugees
might join the resettlement queue. The British Government
continues to support the principles set out in the
declaration of the High Commissioner's Executive Committee
/in August 1978
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