TNAG-1419-FCO40-1902-Hong-Kong-Parliamentary-Sub-Committee-on-Race-Relations-and--1985 — Page 72

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1948

REFUGEES: THE GOVERNMENT'S REPLY TO THE HOME AFFAIRS COMMITTEE

REPORT

The Government's reply* to the Third Report of the Home

Affairs Committee (1984-85 Session), on Refugees and Asylum with Special Reference to the Vietnamese, is published today

[ 2.30 pm, 26 September ].

2. The Government has accepted many of the Committee's recommendations. In particular, it has agreed to the early admission to Britain of Vietnamese refugees in Hong Kong with

family ties here; it has decided to increase its funding of the Vietnamese programme for Vietnamese in this country and to

extend the programme for a further year; and it is taking measures to reduce the time taken to decide asylum applications.

3. The Committee's report was published in April, and was in three parts covering: Vietnamese refugees in Hong Kong, the

Vietnamese in Britain, and refugee procedures generally. In

its reply, the Government acknowledges its gratitude to the Committee for its timely, comprehensive and careful reply, and

accepts many of the Committee's recommendations.

PART I.

4.

While acknowledging that Britain's record in accepting Vietnamese refugees was a good one, the Committee made a number of recommendations designed to revite the international re-

evive

settlement programme; to reduce the burden on Hong Kong and

to reunite those in the camps with their families here. The Government has accepted the Committee's recommendations in this

area. It has agreed to relax the family reunion criteria for

* HMSO,