After Resettlement

Abstract

The refugees from Vietnam are best placed to comment on their life in Britain after resettlement. Obtaining the Vietnamese perspective on their experiences and views has many problems. Personal contact with any of the Vietnamese will provide an insight into the view of their situation but must be subjective. Whilst there is great value in individual views, it is difficult to generalise from these. An attempt has been made through sampling to represent the views of a group who might be typical of the majority as well as a smaller significant group. To do this the resettlement pattern was examined. The majority of refugees were resettled in urban areas around the country. The Home Office ideal had been that each urban area would have between 10 and 20 families that would constitute a small community without fear of a ghetto. These two factors were borne in mind when looking for a sample. Two samples were decided upon. Both are very small but the information gained from them can complement the other sources and ensure that the Vietnamese perspective is taken account of when making recommendations about refugee policy. The samples also provide insights into the post-settlement situation of the refugees in different parts of the country.