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On the orderly departure programme, we note that it has not
yet proved possible to establish the accelerated rate of
departures foreseen at the time of the 30 May understanding between the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the Vietnamese
Government. As Lord Carrington made clear, the international
community will need to study the development of this programme with
great attention. But if it is to work it must have the full
cooperation of the parties, and it clearly needs to be supported by
the placing of adequate numbers of personnel in Vietnam. We hope
that the difficulties which have faced its implementation will soon
be overcome.
The British Government notes with satisfaction that the
Secretary-General expects the refugee processing centres to begin
to receive refugees before the end of the year. These centres have
a major role to play in relieving the pressure on places of first
asylum. Hong Kong is one of these places and it is right that
refugees from Hong Kong should in all cases be accepted there. We
hope also that the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees will continue to make the centres' early functioning a leading
priority.
•
In this intervention I have concentrated on the question of
boat refugees. That reflects the particular responsibility of the United Kingdom for Hong Kong, to which the British Government has
allocated all the places in its quota of 10,000 additional refugees
T
/which we
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