TNAG-1392-FCO40-1864-Future-of-Hong-Kong-briefing-for-meetings-and-visits-1985 — Page 166

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:

(c) Regional Integration

UNHCR prefer this to more distant

resettlement.

But Hong Kong's

neighbours have refugee problems of their Own and would not welcome

any additional burden. Thailand, which has absorbed

has ruled out the possibility of absorbing any more.

some refugees,

(d) Increased Resettlement

We

should continue to encourage directly and through UNHCR, to

the reasons

in

other resettlement countries, both

But, for

There are three possible

take more.

para 11 above, we shall have difficulty. options which might be considered:

(i) The UK might take a further quota.

Our efforts to persuade

other countries

to take more are unlikely to

be effective until we can show that we are willing to take more

evidence that they are looking to the UK

ourselves.

There

is

for a gesture. (The present SCORRI enquiry into Vietnamese refugees

is addressing this question.) Clearly a prerequisite for any

successful campaign to increase off take elsewhere i s

admit more refugees here, preferably on a continuing quota.

agreement to

(ii) Training schemes

UNHCR Consider that resettlement prospects would improve if refugees

acquired the skills needed to work

to work in industrialised societies. The

Hong Kong Government have already devoted considerable attention and

resources to providing training opportunities. They seek to provide

educational and vocational training, with emphasis on English, in

all the government-run refugee centres. The voluntary agencies run

similar programmes in the open centres.

the Hei Ling Chau closed

centre, which is for North Vietnamese

and where as a result the

potential integration problems are

In

resettlement rate i s lowest and

greater, the Hong Kong Government intends with UNHCR assistance to

provide a special multi-purpose training centre.

It will be

funded

Relief

Its

by UNHCR (total cost US$40, 000) and will be run by the World

voluntary agency.

It should be operational by mid-1985.

purpose will be to prepare Vietnamese refugees for overseas

resettlement by teaching them basic manufacturing skills and use of

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