Refugees officially 'displaced'

By Chris Daniels

The cabinet will decide next week where 300 East Timorese refugees will stay and who will pay to look after them.

Prime Minister Jenny Shipley has agreed to accept the refugees, who will be offered refuge for at least three months.

A spokesman for Immigration Minister Tuariki Delamere, Ted Sheehan, said the East Timorese would officially be referred to as "displaced persons" rather than refugees.

They would enter on "limited purpose permits" and would not be allowed to work here, he said.

If they wanted to stay in New Zealand to live and work, they would have go through the normal application process.

The Mangere Refugee Centre is expected to be home for at least 100 of the refugees.

The cabinet will probably decide on Monday where the rest will go. Disused hospitals in Wellington and Opotiki have been suggested as possibilities, along with a Hamilton hostel.

Timorese student Jorge da conceicao Teme said he was sure the refugees would be keen to return home once security improved.

"People have been fighting for a long time to enjoy independence."

The president of the New Zealand Refugees Council, Dr Nagalingam Rasalingam, said a meeting to work out how groups could help the Timorese had already been held. Primary health care would be important, especially treatment for possible infectious diseases such as malaria and TB.

An East Timor Independence Committee spokeswoman and Auckland City councillor, Maire Leadbeater, said it was difficult to work out exactly what kind of assistance would be needed until it was known where the refugees were originally from, and their backgrounds.

A Catholic priest, Father Terry Dibble, said the church would be involved in helping them once they arrived. Almost 90 per cent of East Timorese were Catholics, he said, and local families would be available to help.

It was expected the refugees would live in dormitory-like conditions, so he expected local Catholics would invite them to their homes for meals and provide assistance.

Mr Sheehan said he did not expect the refugees would want to stay long. "It is not thought they want to live here permanently.

"We just want to get them somewhere safe because they are in great danger."