refugees should be in either open or closed camps.
ar objective must be to try to find durable
solutions for all of them as fast as possible.
Meanwhile the Hong 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 agencies, they make every
effort to ensure that the refugees' basic needs are
met while they remain in camps: they are provided
with shelter, food, medical treatment, clothing,
education, welfare and educational facilities.
With regard to the question of closed camps mentioned
Reverend
by the Revd Blake, I enclose a copy of Richard
Luce's speech at the Adjournment 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 happen however will unfortunately depend
on factors largely outside Her Majesty's and the
Hong Kong Government's control: the rate of arrivals
from Vietnam and the rate of departures to countries
of resettlement.
Revoruul
The Revd Blake's point about admission of refugees
into the United Kingdom is of course a matter for
the Home Office. I am therefore copying our
correspondence to David Waddington in case he wishes
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