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stuck with a growing number
number of economic migrants with по prospect of
resettlement;
(b) a tougher regime than that now applied in the closed centres might be needed to control those facing the prospect of ultimate repatriation or very long confinement;
(c) resettlement countries might take advantage of a reduction in the "refugee" population to scale down further their level of offtake from Hong Kong;
(d) unless the refugees were
due trial and
conviction in
would still be in breach
of
imprisoned as illegal immigrants after
the Courts of Hong Kong, this scheme
Article 9 of the International Covenant
on Civil and Political Rights.
23.
•
has
But
himself proposed such a
UNHCR's support would be needed. They have not been consulted officially. Hong Kong believe that UNHCR would welcome such a step towards application of a more correct definition of refugee status, over which they would have control; UNHCR would also be able to
evade responsibility for those not identified as refugees.
although one senior UNHCR official
scheme informally, UKMIS Geneva are clear that Mr senior officials would be opposed to it, and that be UNHCR policy. Indeed, in 1984 when Hong Kong detained as illegal immigrants 13 Iranians who had arrived with forged passports, UNHCR requested that they should be granted refugee status in Hong Kong
because they could not be returned either to Pakistan or Iran.
24.
that
the
in
Hartling and other
this i s likely to
January (see para 19 above) the
At their discussion on 15
Executive Council advised
the absence of a programme of involuntary repatriation,
screening proposals should not be
implemented. However they
recommended that the proposals should be
kept under review. During his call on Mr Luce on 27 February, Ambassador Douglas, US Coordinator for Refugee Affairs, mentioned
similar scheme whereby from a certain date all Vietnamese refugee
resettlement processing in the region would cease and new arrivals
would thereafter be held on a remote Pacific island pending eventual
return to Vietnam. Subsequent soundings of the US State Department
a
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