The provision of completely secure detention facilities is limited to Prison institutions and the facilities at Kai Tak. So far such places do not allow visits from UNHCR or consular officials. Should more than about 2, 500 refugees arrive requiring detention, there would be a need to create further secure accommo- dation. Management requires a high level of supervisory staff in a detention camp, and UNHCR would not want to take on this task or arrange for its agent to do so. UNHCR would only be prepared to meet the cost of construction and operation, provided it and the consular staff of resettling countries had access to the camp.
23
A decision on the status of the refugees will be required before the camp opens and to allow necessary security facilities to be included (e.g. a secure perimeter and possibly further sub- divisions within the camp itself). A secure camp would have the advantages that it would enable access into and egress from it to be controlled. It would also satisfy the public that the refugees were under close control and might make Hong Kong a less attractive destination. On the other hand, management would be more costly because more staff would be required and if the refugees became restive discipline and control may not easily be maintained.
Status of Refugees
24
In due course, the refugees are now being transferred to UNHCR care, and are "landed" in Hong Kong for a specified period of time, also under section 11 of the Immigration Ordinance. So far refugees in UNHCR care have been allowed to work. This has reduced security problems and has provided a useful increase to the work force. On the other hand as UNHCR provides refugees with lodging and food at its expense such refugees have an advantage over the general population, who have to meet the cost of their own accommodation and food.
25
UNHCR has said that if Government decided that refugees should not work, pending resettlement, it would try to implement this requirement by controlling access in and out of the existing camps. Even so it seems likely that some refugees would sneak out and evade this requirement, even if security was stepped up considerably.
C.S. 166
CONFIDENTIAL #
機密