TNAG-0971-FCO40-1190-Resettlement-of-Vietnamese-refugees-from-Hong-Kong-in-the-UK-1980 — Page 178

E.R.

staff and run these reception centres, with their costs being

met from Government funds.

I pay full tribute to the part played by B.C.A.R. in this developing

situation. Successive Governments have been accustomed to look

to B.C.A.R. not only for help in looking after the refugees

themselves but also for assistance in co-ordinating the

approach of the voluntary agencies to refugee situations generally. On 3B.C.A.R. therefore fell the initial burden of

carrying these two roles during the carly stages of the

Vietnamese refugee programme. In addition to its co-ordinating task, B.C.A.R. began to specialise in operating large reception

centres for the 'boat people'. It opened the first of the large

reception centres at Kensington Barracks. It later took

responsibility for other large centres at Sopley and Thorney

Island. As the numbers grew, Save the Children Fund and the Ockenden Venture also became involved in the reception and resettlement arrangements. 3.C.A.R., under the leadership of Kenneth Lee, took the initiative in setting up an ad hoc committee to co-ordinate those arrangements. In this way, foundations were laid on which, later in the summer, it was

/possible for