TNAG-1185-FCO40-1487-Resettlement-of-Vietnamese-refugees-from-Hong-Kong-into-the--1982 — Page 164

Appendix D

PROPOSED PROGRAMME OF AGENCY ACTIVITIES FOR 1983/84

(a) Boat Rescues Housing from Reception Centres

Up to 400 Vietnamese per year were admitted to the United Kingdom following rescue by British ships in 1980 and 1981. While numbers appear to have diminished considerably this year there is no apparent control over these flights and subsequent rescue. The agencies would continue to take responsibility for housing and initial settlement from reception.

(b) Initial Settlement

769 Vietnamese left reception centres between 1 January 1982 and 30 June 1982. Another 644 were still in reception centres on

1st July 1982 and will be resettled in the coming months. Many of these will need continued basic support from the agencies during the early stages of their settlement.

(c) Advice and Information to Local Authorities

The agencies will continue to make it a top priority to alert local authorities and local education authorities, and their staffs, to the special needs of the Vietnamese refugees, and to their responsibilities for assisting them. They will offer to help the authorities to make suitable plans to meet the needs, and where necessary will involve central government in negotiations to obtain local funding. Where the local authorities themselves do not have the necessary staff, the agencies will encourage them to fund the agencies' services. The agencies will provide local authority staff with relevant information materials to enable them to make the best possible provision.

(a)

Information and Back-up Services for Support Groups

The

Local volunteer support groups themselves require constant support if they are to provide an effective service to the Vietnamese. agencies will provide, among other things:-

(i) A support group magazine

(ii)

(iii)

Advice leaflets

Conferences, seminars etc at which volunteers can discuss their problems.

(e) Individual and Family Counselling

Stresses resulting from refugee trauma and from difficulties in adjusting to life unemployed in a strange land have exacerbated social problems in many ways and the agencies will provide help and advice in a number of fields:-

(i) Health and mental health.

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(ii) Violence in the family there has been a disturbing increase.

in domestic violence.

(iii) Marriage guidance - there is a need for skilled counselling

relating to marriage, pregnancy and abortion.