Explaining his first foreign-policy action at a news conference later in the day in Little Rock, Ark., Mr. Clinton reiterated his tough approach, saying that his goal was to save lives and that his campaign oratory had been sorely misunderstood. He noted that he had repeatedly stated that "people who didn't qualify as refugees still shouldn't be here and that there was a clear and legitimate distinction between political and economic refugees."

He continued, "So, you know, sometimes people hear only half the message."

Arthur C. Helton, Director of the refugee project for the Lawyer's Committee for Human Rights, who has criticized the Bush executive order of May 1992 authorizing the forcible return of potential refugees as illegal, said, "It's very worrisome and it reflects the fear -- even paranoia -- among the Clinton team about an influx of boat people." Policy Called Temporary>

"Mr. Clinton has aimed very low in trying to achieve any balance in managing the flow of boat people and providing protection to genuine refugees. To the extent the new Clinton Administration relies on the discredited approach of the outgoing Administration, it will be complicit with that violation of law."

Indeed, in the last two weeks, members of Mr. Clinton's foreign-policy team have expressed concern that celebrations surrounding Mr. Clinton's inauguration, which will be widely televised, will be marred by news footage of Haitian boat people drowning in stormy waters while trying to make the 600-mile journey to the Florida coast. Mr. Clinton cited a report in recent days, still unconfirmed by the Coast Guard, that nearly 400 Haitian boat people drowned when their boat sank in the Bahamas.

During the eight months before Mr. Bush announced his policy, more than 30,000 Haitians had set sail, and 12,000 were housed in a makeshift refugee center at the American military base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. When the base became overcrowded and Mr. Bush began his plan of forcible return, the Coast Guard turned back 5,000 Haitians to their homeland and the number of new boat people dropped dramatically.

Mr. Clinton emphasized today that continuing the Bush policy was only temporary, but he did not say when he would replace it, as his aides have promised, with a broad new executive order that envisions processing applications for refugees in third countries. Support for Aristide

He left open the possibility that he will continue the inherited policy while the United Nations and the Organization of American States try to negotiate a settlement that would restore the legitimate Government to Haiti.