TNAG-1543-FCO40-2107-United-Nations-High-Commissioner-for-Refugees-(UNHCR)-Execut-1986 — Page 112

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THIRTY-SEVENTH SESSION OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OF THE PROGRAMME OF THE UNITED NATIONS HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES

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Statement by the Hong Kong representative, Ken Woodhouse

Assistance: Hong Kong

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Mr. Chairman, last year I asked those present at

the 36th Executive Committee not to forget the Vietnamese refugees in Hong Kong who were patiently awaiting resettlement. I invited the resettlement countries to respond to the decision by the British Government to relax its family reunion criteria and to accept for resettlement refugees

who hitherto had been outside its normal criteria for

resettlement.

To demonstrate the Hong Kong Government's willingness

to help I also explained that 250 ethnic Chinese refugees

from Vietnam would be accepted for local settlement

one of the UNHCR's durable solutions. In order to facilitate

the implementation of the RASRO scheme for refugees rescued at sea, the Hong Kong Government agreed to a request from the UNHCR to provide a RASRO Transit Centre

in Hong Kong.

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Mr. Chairman, I am pleased to say that many countries responded positively to these British and Hong Kong initiatives. In addition to increased offtakes by the countries who have steadfastly stood by Hong Kong for

many years Australia, Canada and the United States Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Luxembourg, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway and Sweden have selected refugees from Hong Kong for resettlement. are very grateful. We appreciate, in particular, the assistance of those countries which took long stayers.

As a result the number of refugees in Hong Kong has slightly decreased. But increased arrivals this year have begun to erode that success and the numbers of refugees

in Hong Kong is beginning to rise once again.

We

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