TNAG-1425-FCO40-1908-Vietnamese-refugees-in-Hong-Kong-general-1985 — Page 248

CONFIDENTIAL

(c) Regional Integration

UNHCR prefer this to more distant

neighbours have refugee

resettlement.

But Hong Kong's

problems of their own and would not welcome

any additional burden. Thailand, which has absorbed some refugees,

has ruled out the possibility of absorbing any more.

(d) Increased Resettlement

We should continue to encourage

other resettlement countries, both

directly and through UNHCR, to take more. But, for the reasons in

para 11 above, we shall have difficulty.

options which might be considered:

(i) The UK might take a further quota.

Our efforts to persuade

be

ourselves.

There are three possible

other countries to take more are unlikely to

effective until we can show that we are willing to take more

There is evidence that they are looking to the UK

for a gesture. (The present SCORRI enquiry into Vietnamese refugees

is addressing this question.) Clearly a prerequisite for any

successful campaign to increase off take elsewhere i s

admit more refugees here, preferably on a continuing quota.

agreement to

(ii) Training schemes

UNHCR consider that resettlement prospects would improve if refugees

acquired the skills needed to work in industrialised societies. The

Hong Kong Government have already devoted considerable attention and

resources to providing training opportunities. They seek to provide

educational and vocational training, with emphasis on English, in

all the government-run refugee centres. The voluntary agencies run

similar programmes in the open centres. In the Hei Ling Chau closed

centre, which i s for North Vietnamese and where as a result the

resettlement rate i s lowest and potential integration problems are

greater, the Hong Kong Government intends with UNHCR assistance to

provide a special multi-purpose training centre. It will be funded

by UNHCR (total cost US$40,000) and will be run by the World Relief

voluntary agency.

It should be operational by mid-1985.

be to prepare Vietnamese

for refugees

resettlement by teaching them basic manufacturing skills and use

purpose

will

Its

overseas

of

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