TNAG-0971-FCO40-1190-Resettlement-of-Vietnamese-refugees-from-Hong-Kong-in-the-UK-1980 — Page 88

Transcript of ir T. Raison's Press Conference at Kai Tak on September 21, 1980,

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are runliche bere primarily to inform myself and to see what is going

on and in certain areas for which I have responsibility in the Home Office in

London. You are probably aware that I am not the Home Secretary.

Secretary, is Mr Whitelaw, I am the Minister of State at the Home Office and

I have del gated to me under the Home Secretary certain areas of responsibility.

And the ar as of responsibility which have brought me to Hong Kong are firstly

the responsibility for the refugee programme the Vietnamese refugee

programme. Secondly, a responsibility for drugs, and thirdly a responsibility

for the law of nationality and also the operation of the immigration system.

So really, it has been to come and see what is happening here in these particular

fields that my visit has been directed. I see one or two other things as well

and people have talked to me about all sorts of other things and it has been to

inform myself of the situation and perhaps to explain a little bit about the

British Government's position on these matters. Well, during the week I've

had, I think, a fairly full range of visits, they've covered Vietnamese

refugee camps. I started off by visiting the Canton Road Reception Centre.

I visited the Shanshuipo Refugee Camp. I hope you'll forgive my Chinese

pronounciation which I am afraid is unlikely to be very accurate.

And then

So

I saw some more on Saturday morning, Kai Tak North and Kai Tak East.

I've seen these four different camps which as you know are operated by

different organisations. And can I say that from seeing them I hope I have

had some ideas of the problems which have faced Hong Kong in coping with this

very large influx of refugees to Hong Kong. I think people generally have

had a great deal of admiration for the way which Hong Kong responded generously

to this cruel problem of refugees which was thrown up especially last year

and indeed before that and the way in which Hong Kong has taken in the

refugees and its been very interesting to me to see how the camps have been

handling these refugees, have been looking after them. I am impressed by the

way there is obviously a wealth of voluntary support for the refugees, and

I think that is very important. I have also had a particular job which is

that we have a team out from our Home Office in London at the moment selecting

/refugees to *****