TNAG-1423-FCO40-1906-Vietnamese-refugees-in-Hong-Kong-general-1985 — Page 32

MY LORDS, I WOULD NOW LIKE TO TURN TO SOME OF THE DETAILED

POINTS RAISED DURING THIS AFTERNOON'S DEBATE.

THE NOBLE LORD, VISCOUNT BUCKMASTER ASKED WHETHER THE GOVERNMENT

COULD ADOPT A MORE FLEXIBLE APPROACH ON THE GRANTING OF POLITICAL

THE 1951 CONVENTION ASYLUM TO REFUGEES FROM THE THIRD WORLD.

ON REFUGEES DEFINES A REFUGEE AS A PERSON OUTSIDE HIS HOME

COUNTRY WHO IS UNABLE OR UNWILLING TO RETURN THERE BECAUSE OF A

WELL FOUNDED FEAR OF PERSECUTION FOR REASONS OF RACE, RELIGION,

NATIONALITY, MEMBERSHIP OF A PARTICULAR SOCIAL GROUP OR POLITICAL OPINION. WE NOT ONLY COMPLY SCRUPULOUSLY WITH THE OBLIGATIONS UNDER THE CONVENTION AND PROTOCOL BUT ALREADY IN FACT GO BEYOND A PERSON WHO IS NOT CONSIDERED TO BE THE OBLIGATIONS UNDER IT A REFUGEE UNDER THE CONVENTION MAY STILL BE ALLOWED TO REMAIN

HERE EXCEPTIONALLY BECAUSE OF THE PARTICULAR CIRCUMSTANCES OF

HIS CASE OR IN THE LIGHT OF THE SITUATION PREVAILING IN HIS

HOME COUNTRY. INDEED THE SITUATION IN SOME COUNTRIES HAS

факсовка CAUSED US TO ESTABLISH SEVERAL MORE GENERAL EXCEPTIONAL) POLICIES

IN RECENT YEARS THE COUNTRIES CONCERNED

FOR CERTAIN NATIONALS.

HAVE INCLUDED AFGHANISTAN, IRAN, LEBANON, POLAND AND UGANDA. UNDER THESE POLICIES LESS STRINGENT TESTS THAN THE CRITERIA FOR

REFUGEES ARE APPLIED IN DECIDING WHETHER A PERSON SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO REMAIN EXCEPTIONALLY, NORMALLY FOR 12 MONTHS IN THE EXTENSIONS ARE NORMALLY GRANTED IF THERE HAVE

FIRST INSTANCE.

BEEN NO MATERIAL CHANGES OF CIRCUMSTANCES.

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