‘Send Minister to camps’

Press, 21 November 1979, Page 5

‘Send Minister to camps’

Ihe Minister oi Lnimigra|tion (Mr Bolger) and his : under-'Secretary (Mr Maljcolm) should tour refugee Icantps in Thailand iinntedijately, Mr Hugo Manson, ithe organiser of a campaign ho allow more refugees into 'New Zealand has said in I Christchurch. Opposition members of Parliament also should be i included in the tour of inspection. said Mr Manson. It was '‘absolutely' shockjing” that the only high-level I inspection by New Zealand Ihad been left to the wife of ja Cabinet Minister, Mrs P. jF. Taiboys.

A tack oi acquaintanci with conditions in the refu gee camps .might be one rea son for the Government) delay in taking an acceptable number of refugees. Mi Manson said. New Zealanders wen being misled by the Govern ment over rhe country’s ca pacity .to accept more refu gees. Every time the question ol increasing the quota of 151 a month was brought up the excuse was made tha the Mangere settlemen i centre was too srhall to copt i with more than the presen numbers. The Governmen ihad used that excuse to re

ject many more offers from people wanting to sponsor refugees than there were refugees available under the present quota. The Mangere centre was a simple set-up that could easily be duplicated elsewhere, according to the staff who worked there, Mr Manson said. Another excuse for the present quota was the need to keep up the quality of sponsorship, yet the Govern- i ment had declined offers from church groups, the Wellington City Council, and ■the entire town of Greytown Ito take refugees.