TNAG-1916-FCO40-2720-Accommodation-for-Vietnamese-refugees-in-Hong-Kong-1989 — Page 123

FCO40 Hong Kong Department Records 聯邦事務部香港部檔案 All

Annex II

UNITED NATIONS HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES

PILLAR POINT REFUGEE CENTRE

In the Statement of Understanding signed by the Government of Hong Kong and UNHCR in September 1988, it was agreed that the closed refugee centres would gradually be opened and the refugees allowed out both for work and recreation. Management of the new open refugee centres was to be entrusted to

one of UNHCR's usual operational partners.

centres were not suitable for As the premises used as closed transformation, it was agreed that the Government would build a new which would provide Pillar Point

in the mould of Hong Kong

centre

at. a place

DOW

called

accommodation in separate family units,

Housing Authority facilities for Hong Kong residents, thereby permitting refugees to lead normal livms.

Pillar Point is presently being built some 20 miles from the It will accommodate centre of Hong Kong, on 4.68 hectare site.

& 5,500 refugees and will be completed in two phases. Completion of the first phase in late May 1989 will permit accommodation of 3,000 refugees and the second phase will be completed some months later. The project comprises 45 prefabricated residential buildings, 15 of the buildings being two storied “and 30 being three storied.

The residental buildings will contain individual family units for four to six people. Each unit will contain a sink and space for cooker. Electricity and water will be individually metered and refugees expected to pay their own bills with the proceeds of their earnings. They will go out to buy their own food in much the same way as any Hong Kong resident does and pay their own rent which will be charged in accordance with local standards.

Toilet and washing areas will be communal with separate male and female facilities.

are

There

A three-storey community centre and a three-storey office block

intended for also included in the design and are

use by the also are refugees and voluntary agencies.

open areas for sports and recreation, Schooling will not take place in the centre and children will be bussed to a school outside the premises.

The aim of the project is to provide conditions for refugees to lead self-sufficient lives with the institutional atmosphere of the closed camps being a thing of the past. It assumes that the refugees will mostly be able to earn living by going out to work, which given Hong Kong's labor shortage is a realistic assumption.

Costs of construction are the following:

Site works, clearance, electricity, water, sewerage

- Construction of dormitory buildings

-

Construction of community centre and office block

TOTAL

in US$

4,178,434 5,596,913

385,109

10,160,462

UNHCR/Fund Raising Services

-

12 May 1989

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