TNAG-1523-FCO40-2087-Hong-Kong-Parliamentary-Sub-Committee-on-Race-Relations-and--1986 — Page 179

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IMG/85 72/170/4

R von Arnim Esq

Representative for the United Kingdom

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees

36 Westminster Palace Gardens

London

SW1P 1RR

December 1985

I am sorry that I have not been able to reply before now to your

letter of 8 October in which you raised, among other things, the question

of the Government meeting the travel costs arising in the Vietnamese

family reunion programme. We have, as you know, spoken about this

several times since your letter arrived.

It is only fair that I should say at the outset that the United Kingdom

will not be providing money for this purpose. There are certain technical

difficulties in subscribing cash in addition to the already substantial

annual contribution which the United Kingdom makes to UNHCR's

General Programme Funds, and it so happens that the specific use to

which you proposed to direct extra resources raises intricate procedural

issues for us. Furthermore, calls on Government refugee and disaster

funds are particularly heavy at present.

However, you will by now be aware that the Government has been able to

set aside £100,000 for the High Commissioner's Special Appeal for

resettlement costs for Indo-Chinese refugees. This extra money is

intended for certain internal activities, and not for international

travel expenses. However, easing UNHCR's financial burden in some

areas will doubtless leave the organisation able to cope with costs

arising in other areas, such as overseas fares. In this way the

Government gives material expression to its high and continuing regard

for the invaluable work which UNHCR conducts throughout the world.

In your letter you touched upon 2 other, but related, issues. The

first concerned the total number of refugees likely to qualify for

admission under the relaxed family reunion criteria which the Government

announced in its White Paper. We take the view that it is still much

too early to begin assessing the likely intake, particularly as it

has been clearly said that all the identified cases could come here if

they fully meet the criteria. That remains the position. We, like you,

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