TNAG-1392-FCO40-1864-Future-of-Hong-Kong-briefing-for-meetings-and-visits-1985 — Page 218

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in

simple machinery, and simultaneously to alleviate boredom while they wait for resettlement, thus reducing the likelihood of friction and

violence. It may be possible to step up or otherwise improve these activities. Opportunities for employment

the closed centres are

limited. (Open centre refugees are of

course free to seek outside

employment), It might be possible to provide more optional, paid

work within the centres without harming the overall deterrent

message of the closed centre policy provided the resources of land

and capital investment were available. The Hong Kong Government

now considering further how they can provide refugees with

skills sought by resettlement countries.

are

iii)

be

of Bataan Refugee Processing Centre (RPC) by the UK.

If (eg as a

result of the SCORRI enquiry) HMG decide to take a large number of Vietnamese from Hong Kong on a continuing basis, it would

be logical to consider making use of the Bataan facilities for those

selected for resettlement here. The aim of such a scheme would

to reduce the problems involved in integrating refugees upon arrival in the UK, by means of

intensive "orientation" courses

in

Bataan's

purpose built facilities.

Department have indicated

of the RPC, would welcome

and might be prepared to

resettlement cases in the centre.

this, the next stage would be to consult UNHCR,

the RPC.

Preliminary soundings of the US State

that the US Government, as the major user

a decision by HMG to use the facilities,

share some of the costs of training UK

I f we were to decide to pursue

who run and maintain

iv)

The calling of another

international

conference on

Indo-Chinese refugees.

There are two problems about this. The first i s that we are not at

present able to take an initiative given our low resettlement rate.

The second is that given that the Vietnamese refugee problem taken

as a whole is now much less acute than it was in 1979, we see little

prospect that a call for a conference would receive interest and

support

from other countries involved.

Potential refugee

resettlement countries are heavily preoccupied. with other more

immediate problems, notably the famine in Africa and the exodus

from Afghanistan.

CONFIDENTIAL