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TER A PASSAGE INCLUDING SHORT STOPS ON THE CHINESE COAST
R SHELTER OR TO REQUEST ESSENTIAL SUPPLIES.
B. THE GROUP OF 120 INCLUDED A LARGE NUMBER WHO ENTERED CHINA
BY LAND FROM VIETNMA. THREE OF THE FIVE JUNKS IN THIS GROUP HAD
BEEN BOUGHT IN PEIHAI FROM PEOPLE WHO HAD ARRIVED BY SEA AND
WISHED TO STAY IN CHINA.
C. THE FORMAL STATUS GIVEN TO THESE PEOPLE IN CHINA IS, OF COURSE,
A MATTER FOR THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT. IN PRACTICAL TERMS, ARRANGE-
MENTS HAVE BEEN MADE TO PROVIDE THEM WITH FOOD, RATION COUPONS
AND MONEY TO MEET DAILY LIVING EXPENSES, THEY HAVE BEEN SETTLED
LONG ENOUGH TO BE ABLE TO CORRESPOND WITH FRIENDS AND RELATIVE
ELSEWHERE IN CHINA. THIS MEANS THAT THEY CANNOT BE REGARDED AS
REFUGEES WHEN THEY LATER LEAVE, WITH NO DOCUMENTATION, FOR HONG KONG
D. THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT HAS TREATED THESE PEOPLE IN THE SAME
WAY AS OTHER ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS FROM CHINA BECAUSE THERE IS
INDISPUTABLE EVIDENCE THAT THEY HAVE COME TO HONG KONG ILLEGALLY
AND THEIR IMMEDIATE POINT OF DEPARTURE HAS BEEN IN CHINA. THE
SIMPLEST PROCEDURES FOR THEIR REPATRIATION ARE THOSE WHICH
EXIST FOR OTHER ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS TO HONG KONG. THESE HAVE ALREADY
BEEN USED ON A FEW OCCASIONS FOR PEOPLE WHO HAVE ORIGINALLY REACHED
CHINA FROM VIETNAM AND WHO HAVE BEEN ARRESTED CROSSING BY
LAND INTO HONG KONG.
E. THESE PEOPLE ARE NOT ELIGIBLE FOR RESETTLEMENT ELSEWHERE AS
REFUGEES UNDER ANY NATIONAL OR INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMMES CONCERNING
REFUGEES FROM INDO-CHINA.
F. ANY PEOPLE WHO HAVE REACHED CHINA FROM VIETNAM AND WHO WISH
TO JOIN CLOSE RELATIVES IN HONG KONG CAN APPLY TO THE BRITISH
EMBASSY. ANY WHO WISH TO TRAVEL TO OVERSEAS COUNTRIES CAN MAKE
WRITTEN APPLICATION FROM THEIR PRESENT RESIDENCE IN CHINA TO THE
RELEVANT AUTHORITIES OF THESE COUNTRIES IN PEKING OR IN HONG KONG.
IF THEY ARRIVE AT LOWU WITH EVIDENCE OF ONWARD VISAS THERE WILL BE
NO DIFFICULTY IN ALLOWING THEM TO ENTER HONG KONG IN TRANSIT TO
THEIR ONWARD DESTINATION.
G. ANY PEOPLE OF VIETNAMESE NATIONALITY COMING LEGALLY TO HONG KONG,
WHATEVER THEIR POINT OF DEPARTURE, ARE REQUIRED TO HAVE A VISA,
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/ 9. WE SUGGEST
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