TNAG-1417-FCO40-1900-Hong-Kong-Parliamentary-Sub-Committee-on-Race-Relations-and--1985 — Page 125

Mr Hartland-Swann

SEAD

FROM: A J Dunn, Parliamentary

Unit

DATE: 22 January 1985

Cc: PS/Mr Luce

Mr Wilson

Mr Galsworthy, HKD

SCORRI ENQUIRY INTO VIETNAMESE REFUGEES

1.

The Clerk to the Home Affairs Sub-Committee on Race Relations and Immigration has now sent an indication of the line of questioning for Mr Luce's appearance before the Committee on 4 February in Committee Room 6. The areas covered will be as follows:

Family Reunion

a) The problem of blockage of resettlement when people in the

camps have close relatives in Britain.

b)

c)

The effect of the strict family reunion criteria on those Vietnamese already here.

The criteria for admission under the Orderly Departure Programme (ODP) and the potential future intake under the ODP.

Discussions with other Resettlement Countries

d)

e)

whether or not there have been discussions with other resettlement countries on their willingness to take additional refugees if the UK accepted around 100, and if so, whether these discussions are viewed optimistically.

Whether one of the problems is that resettlement countries feel that the Vietnamese are not genuine refugees.

Closed Camps

Does the FCO really believe that closed camps have a deterrent effect?

Questions on UNHCR criticisms of policy.

f)

g)

h)

The effect of closed camps on the subsequent ability of the refugees to resettle.

i)

The possibility of resettling some Vietnamese within Hong Kong itself.

j)

The progress made on the UNHCR ship rescue scheme

(RASRO).

/k)