CONFIDENTIAL
stuck with a growing number
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
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
still be in breach of Article 9 of the International Covenant
on Civil and Political Rights.
23. 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. But
although one senior UNHCR official
has himself proposed such a
scheme informally, UKMIS Geneva are clear that Mr Hartling and other
senior officials would be opposed to it, and that this is likely to
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
granted refugee status in Hong Kong
because they could not be returned either to Pakistan or Iran.
24.
be
At their discussion on 15 January (see para 19 above) the
Executive Council advised that in the absence of a programme
of involuntary repatriation, the screening proposals should not be
implemented. However they recommended that the proposals should be
kept under review.
B.
Options designed to increase the rate of departures
25. (a) Voluntary repatriation to Vietnam
UNHCR consider voluntary
repatriation
to be the most desirable
CONFIDENTIAL