TNAG-1421-FCO40-1904-Hong-Kong-Parliamentary-Sub-Committee-on-Race-Relations-and--1985 — Page 146

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WITH REGARD TO YOUR GOVERNMENT'S APPROACH FOR NEW ZEALAND'S

ASSISTANCE WITH THE RESETTLEMENT OF VIETNAMESE REFUGEES IN HONG

KONG, YOU MAY BE AWARE THAT WHEN THE NEW ZEALAND CABINET APPROVED

THE 1985/86 INDO-CHINESE REFUGEE PROGRAMME IT AGREED TO WIDEN

FAMILY REUNIFICATION CRITERIA CONSIDERABLY. A REQUEST FOR AN

ADDITIONAL QUOTA OF PLACES FOR REGISTERED REFUGEES WITH NO RELATIVES

IN THIRD COUNTRIES AND WHO HAD BEEN IN REFUGEE CAMPS IN EXCESS OF

FIVE YEARS WAS HOWEVER DEFERRED.

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WE ARE NOW RE-EXAMINING THIS QUESTION AND THE APPROPRITE

AUTHORITIES ARE CURRENTLY LOOKING AT THE POSSIBILITY OF APPROVING

AN ADDITIONAL SEVENTY PLACES TO BE UTILISED BETWEEN FEBRUARY

JUNE 1986 TO CATER FOR CASES SUCH AS THOSE DESCRIBED ABOVE. THE

BULK OF THESE ARE LIKELY TO GO TO FAMILY GROUPS WITH YOUNG CHILDREN

WHO HAVE KNOWN NOTHINGB BUT LIFE IN THE CAMPS. CONSIDERATION MAY

ALSO HOWEVER BE GIVEN TO REQUEST FROM THE GOVERNMENTS OF A

HNUMBER OF SOUTH EAST ASIAN COUNTRIES AND HONG KONG FOR ASSISTANCE

WITH LONG-TERM REFUGEE CASES. SHOULD APPROVAL FOR THESE ADDITIONAL

PLACES BE FORTHCOMING, IT MIGHT BE POSSIBLE TO SECURE A SMALL ONE-

OFF ALLOCATION OF PLACES FOR REFUGEES FROM HONG KONG.

I SHOULD BE GRATEFUJL IF YOU WOULD CONVEY THIS INFORMLTION TO

YOUR GOVERNMENT UNQUOTE.

HOWE

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