TNAG-1276-FCO40-1626-Resettlement-of-Vietnamese-refugees-from-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 31

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HONG KONG CHRISTIAN SERVICI

MIGRATION SERVICES DEPARTMENT

33. GRANVILLE ROAD, KOWLOON

HONG KONG

OFFICER-IN-CHARGE MR. K.L. STUMPF, C.B.E., J.P.

SUPERVISOR:

MRS. L. NEUGEBAUER

ASSISTANT SUPERVISOR

The Rt. Hon. the Lord McNair

1 The Laurels

Eastcombe

Stroud, Glos GL6 7DN

United Kingdom

8 September 1983

MRS. G. GOODLET

CABLE ADDRESS:

ECUMAID

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HONG KONG

TELEPHONE: 3-670071-9

3-672691

SERVICES PROVIDED:

TO CHINESE EMIGRANTS:

COUNSELLING

DOCUMENTATION

SPONSORSHIPS

VISA

TO VIETNAMESE BOAT

REFUGEES:

CARE OF THE ELDERLY

CARE AND MAINTENANCE

- CHILD CARE

COUNSELLING

EDUCATION

LIBRARY

MEDICAL AND DENTAL CARE

RECREATION

VOCATIONAL TRAINING

TO STATELESS EUROPEAN REFUGEES FROM CHINA:

COUNSELLING

LOCAL CARE & MAINTENANCE

MEDICAL CARE

SPONSORSHIPS

VISAS

Dear Lord McNair,

It has now been 4 months since I had the privilege of attending the Conference on Refugees at Ditchley Park. I went there with a kind of special expectation as this meeting was held under the promising theme: 'Sharing the Burdens' with particular emphasis on Hong Kong's refugee problem.

I very vividly remember the genuine concern which all participants expressed regarding Hong Kong and the special problems which we are facing in resettling a large number of refugees who have been waiting for more than 3 years for a place where they may once again rebuild their broken lives. It is this impression which encourages me to write to you in the hope that you may be able to advise or support us in regard to a recent promising development in Canada.

I visited Canada in May 1982 and was reassured by the continued positive approach which the Canadian people are taking towards Asian refugees in spite of the economic depression in their own

country. I was told that whilst government had decided to considerably reduce the official quota for refugees, no limitations exist for private sponsorships provided that the sponsors bear full costs of integration for a period of two years, i.e. without public assistance.

As a result of my visit, Canadian voluntary agencies involved in the resettlement of refugees founded an organization under the name of 'Inter-Amicos'. Their first project called 'Project 5000', aims at resettling Indochinese refugees in Canada at the rate of 5000 per year. During the first phase, the focus will be on refugees now transitting in Hong Kong.

RO

M

MUNITY

G

LONG

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