TNAG-1425-FCO40-1908-Vietnamese-refugees-in-Hong-Kong-general-1985 — Page 31

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MR VEREKER

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SIR CRISPIN TICKELL

PS/MINISTER

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LEAGUE OF RED CROSS: BOAT PEOPLE APPEAL

Problem

From: R L Baxters the

Dated: 21 May 1985

Mr Browning

Mr Ainscow

Mr Murphy

Mr Faint

Mr Turner

Mr Nash, SEAD FCO

Mr P Cole, UND FCO

How to respond to the League of Red Cross Societies (LRCS) Boat People Appeal.

Recommendation

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I recommend a contribution of £25,000.

Background and Argument

3 The League of Red Cross has launched an appeal for

SFR 1,469,000 to support the work of the Red Cross and Red

Crescent Societies of Indonesia, Macao, Malaysia and the

Philippines in giving relief assistance to the Vietnamese

boat people in 1985. To date there is a shortfall of SFr 809,000.

4 At the end of 1984 according to UNHCR there were 36,117

boat people refugees registered in camps and although the numbers leaving under the Orderly Departure Programme now exceed the boat

refugees the numbers of boat people arriving in countries of

first asylum are only very gradually diminishing.

of the refugees now have to wait longer in camps before they are

selected for resettlement and this requires a more intensive programme of training in language and vocational skills.

Further, many

5 The plight of the boat people which attracted so much

attention in the 1970s no longer commands the same international

interest. Nevertheless their needs remain. We made a modest

contribution of £20,000 to the LRCS appeal last year, and I now recommend that you approve a further contribution of £25,000.

The £25,000 can be found from the £5m refugee and other relief

allocation which has been earmarked in 1985/86 for the rest of

the world (excluding Africa) in the Contingency Reserve.