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Britain's financial contribution to the costs of Hong Kong's camps; UNHCR's contribution
23.
Her Majesty's Government contribute in various direct and indirect ways to the cost of Hong Kong's refugee camps. We contribute a substantial amount to the funds of UNHCR (£17.6 million in 1987) for use among refugees. We also donated £16,,000 for
1986/87 to the Save the Children Fund for their work in Hong Kong's Vietnamese refugee camps.
We have brought to UNHCR's attention the strong feelings in Hong Kong about accommodating Vietnamese boat people, and are in touch with them over the possibility of a longer contribution.
24. The Orderly Departure Programme
The Orderly Departure Programme is an administrative arrangement to enable people who meet the UK's standard family reunion criteria under our immigration rules, and who are therefore entitled to enter the UK, to leave Vietnam. The programme was put in place in 1979 to facilitate a legitimate channel for departures from Vietnam for those eligible, and thereby to reduce the pressure for illegal departures. The rate of departure under the programme is controlled by the Vietnamese authorities and any of those eligible have already waited years to be permitted to leave. There is no question of the programme being at the expense of the resettlement of refugees from Hong Kong.
25.
International conference on Vietnamese refugees
A conference on refugees in Indo China would almost certainly become diverted to political issues. We believe the best way forward is through our continuing discussions with the UNHCR and the main resettlement countries, and through maintaining international pressure on Vietnam to accept the return of non-refugees subject to suitable safeguards for their treatment on return.
DECEDTARD
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