TNAG-1418-FCO40-1901-Hong-Kong-Parliamentary-Sub-Committee-on-Race-Relations-and--1985 — Page 27

3.

Lord Ennals commented that the BRC thought that Mr Hartling's

suggestion that the UK should take 1,000 long stayers was "pushing

it a bit far". Mr Luce suggested that this load would need to be spread among the resettlement countries. Lord Ennals agreed.

4.

Mr Luce asked for the BRC' s views on training of refugees.

Mr Knight, who had just been in Hong Kong, said that the facilities provided by Save the

the Children Fund at the new Bowring closed camp

were much better than at other camps. He commented that open camp

refugees have less time for training because they go out to work.

However the schools in the open camp s were very active,

pupils reached 'O' level standard.

and

s ome

5. Mr Jackson said that refugees had much more incentive to learn

languages and skills once they knew which country they were to be

resettled in.

6.

Mr Luce explained the dilemma posed by SCORRI's recommendation

on closed camps. I t was very painful to maintain a deterrent

policy. But we had to tak e into account the strength of feeling in

It was disappointing that in recommending

Hong Kong on this issue.

abolition of the closed

deterrent problem in more

camp s

SCORRI had not examined the

detail, and had not focussed on what

alternative forms of deterrence might be available.

7.

Lord Ennals said that i t was interesting that the SCORRI

recommendation

on closed camp s went beyond the BRC' s in "Behind

Barbed Wire". Despite their criticisms, the BRC had never actually

said that the policy should be abolished. The BRC were delighted by

SCORRI's boldness on this issue.

8.

Mr Jackson said that after his visit

after his visit to Hong Kong, Dr Barber

suggested that if the international community would resettle

those refugees who had

had already left Vietnam, UNHCR could institute

had

proper screening procedures as a deterrent. Mr Luce said this would

be

as painful, if not more SO

than the deterrent of closed camps.

The Parliamentary and public reaction would make it impossible to

implement such a policy. Lord Ennals agreed with Mr Luce, and said

the Asia Committee had never supported

the idea.