IN THE CONTEXT OF ORDERLY DEPARTURE, MY GOVERNMENT SUPPORTS THE PROPOSAL TO ESTABLISH LARGE TRANSIT CENTRES TO PROVIDE TEMPORARY HOMES MEANWHILE, AND WE SHALL COOPERATE WITH THE HIGH COMMISSIONER AND THE GOVERNMENTS DIRECTLY INVOLVED.
BUT THESE TEMPORARY HOME'S MUST NOT BE ALLOWED TO BECOME PERMANENT IT IS TOO EASY TO FAIL TO FOLLOW THROUGH, TO LEAVE MASSES OF PEOPLE, TO GROW DEMORALISED IN CAMPS AS THE MONTHS GROW INTO YEARS. WE SHOUL TAKE FURTHER STEPS TO REUNITE THOSE FAMILIES WHICH HAVE BEEN SEPAR- ATED.
THE WORLD MUST DO ITS UTMOST TO GIVE PERMANENT HOMES AND A LIVELI HOOD TO THE REFUGEES, AND TO FINANCE THE COSTS. THE
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, FRANCE, AND THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA HAVE ALREADY DONE A GREAT DEAL. MANY OTHER COUNTRIES HAVE ALSO MADE NOTABLE CONTRIBUTIONS.
MY OWN COUNTRY IS IN A UNIQUE POSITION. WE HAVE A PARTICULAR RESPONSIBILITY FOR HONG KONG, WHICH HAS TAKEN ALL THE REFUGEES WHO HAVE REACHED ITS SHORES. NONE HAS BEEN TURNED AWAY. I HAVE SEEN FOR MYSELF HOW GOOD THE ARRANGEMENTS ARE. WE INTEND TO ACCEPT OUR SHARE OF REFUGEES FOR FINAL SETTLEMENT. WE SHALL TAKE INTO BRITAIN OVER THE COMING MONTHS A FURTHER TEN THOUSAND REFUGEES, AS THE UNITE NATIONS HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES HAS REQUESTED. SUBJECT TO THE APPROVAL OF THE UNITED KINGDOM PARLIAMENT, WE SHALL ALSO MAKE AVAILABLE A FURTHER FIVE MILLION POUNDS OVER THE NEXT TWELVE MONTHS FOR DEALING WITH THE REFUGEE PROBLEM. BECAUSE HONG KONG'S RESOURCES ARE ALREADY STRETCHED TO THE LIMIT, AND THE NUMBERS OF REFUGEES THERE HAS CONTINUED TO INCREASE, WE SHALL ALLOCATE, ALL OUR PLACES TO HONG KONG. I HOPE THAT OTHER COUNTRIES WILL ALSO COMMIT THEMSELVES TO DOING MORE FOR HONG KONG, WHICH NOW HAS NEARLY ONE THIRD OF ALL BOAT REFUGEES IN CAMPS IN SOUTH-EAST ASIA,
WE SHOULD WORK OUT EFFECTIVE PROGRAMMES FOR THE RESETTLEMENT OF REFUGEES IN DEVELOPING AS WELL AS MORE OF THE DEVELOPED COUNTRIES. MANY OF THE REFUGEES COULD MAKE A VALUABLE CONTRIBUTION TO THE PROSP- ERITY OF THESE DEVELOPING COUNTRIES BUT WE RECOGNISE THAT THESE COUNTRIES WILL REQUIRE FINANCIAL AND OTHER ASSISTANCE IN
RESETTLEMENT.
WE MUST REASSERT
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