§ Mr. Arnoldasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the answer of 14 March, Official Report, c. 40, (a) what are the differences between closed and open refugee centres and (b) what criteria decide the category of centre to which individual refugees are assigned.
§ Mr. RifkindRefugees in closed centres are confined to them. Open centres are managed by voluntary agencies on behalf of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. Refugees are permitted to move about freely and to take temporary outside employment.
Refugees who arrived in Hong Kong on or after 2 July 1982 have been confined in closed centres pending resettlement. Those who arrived before that date are in open centres, except for a very small number of troublemakers who have been transferred to closed centres in the interests of public order.