TNAG-1426-FCO40-1909-Vietnamese-refugees-in-Hong-Kong-general-1985 — Page 158

NR5 ALK

214

VIETNAMESE REFUGEES (PASSAGE FOR INCLUSION IN REPLY FROM LADY YOUNG

TO PEGGY FENNER MP)

The plight of the 11,00 Vietnamese refugees who are currently in

Hong Kong awaiting resettlement is of great concern to both the

British and the Hong Kong Governments.

as

1

on

As I am sure you know, the Home Affairs Sub-Committee on Race

Relations and Immigration recently published a report entitled

"Refugees and Asylum, with Special Reference to the Vietnamese". A

number of the recommendations relate specifically to the problem of

the refugees in Hong Kong. We are considering these very carefully

and will be replying to Parliament as soon as possible. As Richard

Luce said when giving oral evidence the Sub-Committee

on 4

February, and he repeated in the two recent Adjournment Debates Indo-Chinese refugee problems, no Minister could say that it is

satisfactory or desirable that refugees should be in either open

or closed camps. Our objective must to try to find durable

solutions for all of them as fast as possible. Meanwhile the Hon g

Kong Government continue to give temporary asylum to all newly

arriving refugees from Vietnam. In cooperation with the Office of

the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and voluntary

that the refugees' basic

neds are met while they remain in camp s ́, awaiting resettlement.

are provided with shelter, food, medical treatment, clothing,

education, welfare and educational facilities.

agencies, they make every effort to

With regard to the

Oth

ensure

they

the question of closed camps mentioned by the Revd Blake, I

enclose a copy of Richard Luce's speech at the Adjournement Debate on 24 May, which explains the reasons why the Hong Kong Government felt it necessary to introduce the policy in July 1982. As he pointed out, we regard it as a temporary measure: our objective is

to see it terminated as soon as possible. How quickly this can

Pargely happen however will unfortunately depend on, factors outside Her

Majesty's and the Hong Kong Government' s): the rate of arrivals from

Countries Vietnam and the rate of departures to contres of

$):

of resettlement.