TNAG-0971-FCO40-1190-Resettlement-of-Vietnamese-refugees-from-Hong-Kong-in-the-UK-1980 — Page 189

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may also have heard of the 11 year old boy who, after one year

here, has been able to win a scholarship in open competition with

those born and educated here. These are the exceptional ones,

but no less deserving of our admiration are the unsung refugees

who are taking ordinary jobs, working hard, acquiring new skills

and establishing a future for themselves and their families.

The Vietnamese possess qualities which will stand them in good stead

in this country. We know that in coming here they have shown

courage and resilience. They have risked life itself for the

chance to live in a free society. Their courage and their

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aspirations as well as their dignity and their eagerness

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present us all with a challenge and at the end of the day it will

be our society that will benefit most from their presence among

us.

Although I have emphasised the Vietnamese refugees' long-time needs for

housing and education, I am fully aware of the anxieties of local

authorities about the possible need for extra resources. The

Government has just received a request from the local authority

/associations