TNAG-1972-FCO40-2805-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-repatriation-1989 — Page 19

CONFIDENTIAL

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MDHIAN

TO PROVIDE SUCH ASSISTANCE.

6. THE INITIAL DELAY IN THE PROCESSING OF APPEAL CASES HAS LARGELY BEEN DUE TO THE UNHCR HAVING DIFFICULTY IN PROVIDING THE NECESSARY ASSISTANCE TO THE APPELANTS. AN EARLIER ARRANGEMENT BETWEEN THE LAW SOCIETY OF HONG KONG AND THE UNHCR TO PROVIDE ASSISTANCE HAS NOT BEEN SUCCESSFUL, AND, AS AN INTERIM MEASURE, UNHCR HAS DEPLOYED ITS OWN LEGAL COUNSELLORS TO PROVIDE THIS SERVICE. THE UNHCR HAS RECENTLY APPOINTED THE AGENCY FOR VOLUNTEER SERVICE (AVS) TO GIVE THIS SERVICE TO THE APPELANTS.

7.

WE ARE CONSCIOUS OF THE FACT THAT THE SCREENING AND APPEALS PROCEDURES ARE COMPLEX AND SLOW. GIVEN THE SIZE OF THE PROBLEM AND THE INCREASED RATE OF NEW ARRIVALS, WE ARE, IN CONSULTATION WITH UNHCR, REVIEWING THE SCREENING AND APPEALS PROCEDURES WITH A VIEW TO SHORTENING THE WAITING PERIOD.

CONDITIONS IN THE CAMPS

8.

THE STATEMENT OF UNDERSTANDING AGREED BETWEEN UNHCR AND HKG IN SEPTEMBER 1988 PROVIDES THAT, WHERE A NEED FOR SERVICES IS AGREED, THESE WILL BE PROVIDED BY VOLUNTARY AGENCIES DESIGNATED BY UNHCR

FOLLOWING CONSULTATION WITH HKG.

9.

THERE IS NO SUBSTANCE IN THE ALLEGATION THAT VBPS IN DETENTION CENTRES HAVE NO ACCESS TO EDUCATION, TRAINING OR WORK ETC. THERE ARE VOLUNTARY AGENCIES DESIGNATED BY THE UNHCR IN ALL DETENTION CENTRES TO PROVIDE EDUCATION FOR SCHOOL AGE CHILDREN (E.G. THE SAVE THE CHILDREN FUND IN HEI LING CHAU DETENTION CENTRE: CARITAS IN CHIMAWAN DETENTION CENTRE AND THE INTERNATIONAL SOCIAL SERVICES IN WHITEHEAD DETENTION CENTRE, ARGYLE, ERSKINE AND CAPE COLLINSON).

10.

THE UNHCR HAS ALSO DESIGNATED HK CHRISTIAN AID TO REFUGEES TO RUN TRAINING AND WORK PROGRAMMES IN THE DETENTION CENTRES. PHYSICAL CONSTRAINTS INEVITABLY LIMIT THE LEVEL OF ACTIVITIES OF THESE PROGRAMMES. EVERY EFFORT HAS BEEN MADE TO REDUCE THE POPULATION DENSITY AT THE EXISTING DETENTION CENTRES TO CREATE MORE SPACE FOR SUCH ACTIVITIES. PURPOSE-BUILT TRAINING AND WORKSHOP FACILITIES WILL BE PROVIDED IN THE NEW WHITEHEAD DETENTION CENTRE.

WILSON

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