Refugee airlift urged

Press, 2 December 1978, Page 3

Refugee airlift urged

PA Hamilton An immediate airlift of Indo-Chinese refugees to New Zealand is advocated by the Director of the Inter-Church Commission on Immigration and Refugee Resettlement (the Rev. Keith Taylor). “I think that, given transport by the Government, refugees could be landing in New Zealand early in the New Year,” he said. The commission reports that Malaysia alone now has 42,000 refugees to accommodate, the last fortnight adding a net gain of 8000 Indo-Chinese. “We are not here dealing with normal immigration, but an emergency,” said Mr Taylor. “We must move with great speed, not letting the Christmas holidays intervene.

“Our credibility with South-East Asian neighbours will plummet if New Zealand accepts fewer than 600 refugees in the next year.” The Minister of Immigration (Mr T. F. Gill) says he will suggest to the Cabinet on Monday that 400 immigrants be accepted, slightly fewer than the number flown to New- Zealand a year ago.

Since then there has been no big intake by New' Zealand though refugees continue to pour into Malaysia and Thailand. “This is causing incredible antagonism to build up in these developing nations against the refugees, so any unwarranted delay on New Zealand’s part will, not do them justice,” Mr Taylor said. The United Nations

High Commission for Refugees has suggested that New Zealand take up to 1000 a year. Mr Taylor urged New Zealand to repeat its swift intervention of last year, when 412 Vietnamese were accepted. Some had since been joined by relatives sponsored by refugees themselves.

The secretary-organiser of the Auckland Resettlement Committee (Jan Laurent) said that there would be no problem accepting another large influx of refugees.

A former Y.W.C.A. hostel would serve as a reception centre with orientation classes for the first three weeks, to prepare for when the refugees ' went to sponsors who volunteered to help them adapt to New Zealand life.