TNAG-1418-FCO40-1901-Hong-Kong-Parliamentary-Sub-Committee-on-Race-Relations-and--1985 — Page 35

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THIRD REPORT FROM

127. We see a need for a clearer distinction between refugees and immigrants, both in the procedures they go through (some of which our recommendations would make more distinct) and in the public perception. We have already noted our greater legal and moral obligation towards refugees.267 One small contribution would be for statistics relating to immigrants and refugees to be separated. We recommend that statistics relating to immigration and those relating to the grant of asylum be clearly separated, if possible in separate documents.

128. Finally, the need for international co-operation and consultation in matters concerning refugees must be stressed, since many of the problems can only be resolved at the international level. Full use should be made for this purpose of international organisations such as UNHCR and the Council of Europe.268 We recommend that the Government promote and participate fully in international co-operation and consultation concerning refugees.

TABLE OF RECOMMENDATIONS

PART 1: Vietnamese REGUEES IN HONG KONG

1. Family reunion criteria should be relaxed in respect of Vietnamese in camps in countries of temporary asylum. (Para 17).

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2.

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(i) Closed camps should be abolished and their inmates transferred to

open camps.

(ii) If the closed camps are not abolished, the FCO should put on record immediately the circumstances in which it would withdraw its sanction from the closed camps policy. (Para 23).

3. More should be done to prepare the inhabitants of Hong Kong's refugee camps for life after they are resettled, especially through training and upgrading of skills, (Para 25).

4. A considerable degree of ministerial discretion should be retained in the granting of family reunion applications. (Para 35).

5.

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HKD)

(i) Britain's willingness to relax its family reunion criteria for Vietnam- ese in camps in countries of temporary asylum should be used as a bargaining counter to attract offers of additional resettlement places from other countries.

(ii) The aim of such negotiations should be to reduce drastically the size of Hong Kong's Vietnamese refugee population and to resettle all those whose stay in camps has been prolonged.

(iii) If necessary, and as part of a burden-sharing agreement, Britain should accept a small share of those who are hard to resettle and have spent years in camps.

(iv) Hong Kong should accept for settlement a proportion of the ethnic

Chinese in its open camps. (Para 39).

267 Para 2 above.

268 Q67.