TNAG-1420-FCO40-1903-Hong-Kong-Parliamentary-Sub-Committee-on-Race-Relations-and--1985 — Page 162

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September 26, 1985

NOT FOR PUBLICATION, BROADCAST, OR USE ON CLUB TAPES BEFORE 14.30 HOURS 26 SEPTEMBER 1985 THIS DOCUMENT IS ISSUED IN ADVANCE ON THE STRICT UNDERSTANDING THAT NO APPROACH BE MADE TO ANY ORGANISATION OR PERSON ABOUT ITS CONTENTS BEFORE THE TIME OF PUBLICATION

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, September 26].

In particular,

The Government has accepted many of the Committee's recommendations.

it has agreed to the reunion with their families in Britain of Vietnamese refugees

in the camps in Hong Kong. It has decided to increase its funding and to

extend the programme for a further year; and it is taking measures to reduce

the time taken to decide asylum applications.

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 report, and accepts many

of the Committee's recommendations.

PART I

While acknowledging that Britain's record in accepting Vietnamese refugees

was a good one, the Committee made a number of recommendations designed to

revive the international resettlement programme; to reduce the burden on

Hong Kong and to reunite those in the camps with their families here. The

Government will take action on these points. The family reunion criteria

for Vietnamese at present in camps in countries of temporary asylum is to

be relaxed resulting in about 500 Vietnames refugees, most of them in Hong Kong,

*Cmnd 9626: HMSO: £3.30