TNAG-1066-FCO40-1316-Human-rights-in-Hong-Kong-1981 — Page 51

E/CN.4/1503 page 44

assistance per capita in comparison to South

to South East Asia (hence

the "ICARA" meeting of April 1981 which focussed attention

on refugees in Africa). The fact is that disparities in the

level of assistance even as between different areas within the

same region (sometimes affecting the same refugee group which

happens to have obtained asylum in more than one country) have

been detected. Moreover, at least one country of origin has remarked on the dichotomy of massive international aid adminis-

tered on one side of a national frontier while practically none is given on the other.

Thus there are certain imbalances in

current approaches.

To ensure that humanitarian assistance

programmes in themselves do not constitute a "pull factor", simultaneity in approach ought

approach ought to be assured, and be seen

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96. These points obviously deserve elaboration.

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97. As it has been established that mass exodus occurs fre-

quently from countries labouring under severe economic con- straints, foreign aid practices should be more meaningfully

influenced than they appear to be at present by humanitarian

considerations, and administered in terms of how they could best alleviate conditions causing mass flight. When mass movement does occur, it creates demands and pressures on the

same governments for humanitarian aid or for the liberalization

of immigration criteria. At the moment, there seems to be

little linkage in most government administrations between those responsible for administering development aid and those sponding to humanitarian needs. Yet on the basis that preven-

tion is better than cure, if development aid were apportioned

such that it would contribute to stability in countries and

regions where a potential for mass exodus can be identified, this would both contribute to a lessening of human suffering and would lead to economies in the very substantial sums required for relief in countries of first asylum. It should be viewed as an investment for stability.

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