asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if his attention has been drawn to the fact that there are still a large number of Vietnamese who have for many years remained refugees without a home; that 8,000 of those are held in closed camps in Hong Kong; and if, in view of the success here of the Vietnamese refugees who came to Ireland previously, he will accept a small further number of Vietnamese refugees in Ireland.
Written Answers. - Vietnamese Refugees.
38.
My Department monitor closely the situation of the Vietnamese refugees who have for many years remained without a home and we work very closely with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in accepting for resettlement in Ireland Vietnamese refugees who have close relatives already living here.
A total of three hundred and twenty nine (329) Vietnamese refugees have been admitted into Ireland since 1979. Approval has been given for the admission to Ireland of further eighty seven (87) Vietnamese who are close relatives of those who have already been resettled here. Further applications are expected for the admission of other close relatives living either in camps or in Vietnam.
Since the beginning of 1988, twenty (20) Vietnamese refugees have been admitted to Ireland and it is understood that the arrival of a further eighteen (18) of those approved for admission is now imminent. Given this significant rate of admission this year and the demands it imposes on the limited funds available for refugee resettlement purposes I regret that it would not be possible to admit other groups of Vietnamese refugees at this time.