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THE SHORT TERM, THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT HAS RECENTLY EXAMINED
THE POSSIBILITY OF INTRODUCING NOW A SCHEME TO SCREEN OUT
'ECONOMIC MIGRANTS' FROM GENUINE REFUGEES, AGAINST THE DAY WHEN
REPATRIATION OF THE FORMER MIGHT BE POSSIBLE. SCREENING WOULD BE
DONE BY AN INDEPENDENT TRIBUNAL IN THE PRESENCE OF A UNHCR
OBSERVER. THOSE IDENTIFIED AS REFUGEES WOULD BE PLACED IN CLOSED
CENTRES PENDING RESETTLEMENT. ECONOMIC MIGRANTS WOULD BE
DETAINED AS ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS. ALTERNATIVELY, ALL WOULD BE
DETAINED INITIALLY AS ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS, LEAVING UNHCR TO ADVISE
THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT THAT PARTICULAR CASES SHOULD BE GIVEN
REFUGEE STATUS AND TRANSFERRED TO CLOSED CENTRES.
19. THE ADVANTAGES OF THIS SCHEME WOULD BE:·
(A) IT MIGHT DETER SOME ECONOMIC MIGRANTS FROM COMING TO HONG
KONG:
(B) IT WOULD BE IN LINE WITH HONG KONG'S TREATMENT OF
UNDOCUMENTED MIGRANTS FROM OTHER COUNTRIES, INCLUDING CHINA:
(C) THOSE GRANTED REFUGEE STATUS WOULD HAVE A REASONABLE, PROSPECT
OF RESETTLEMENT IN THE WEST.
20. THE DISADVANTAGES WOULD BE:
(A) IF ARRIVALS NEVERTHELESS CONTINUED, HONG KONG WOULD FIND
ITSELF STUCK WITH A GROWING NUMBER OF ECONOMIC MIGRANTS WITH NO
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 IMPRISONED AS ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS
AFTER DUE TRIAL AND CONVICTION IN THE COURTS OF HONG KONG, THIS
SCHEME WOULD STILL BE IN BREACH OF ARTICLE 9 OF THE INTERNATIONAL
COVENANT ON CIVIL AND POLITICAL RIGHTS.
21. 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
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