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5.
(If asked whether closed camps are not really prisons/run by prison staff.) Hong Kong's refugee camps are not run as prisons, nor by prison officers. They are run by staff of the Correctional
Services Dept specially trained to look after refugees. refugees (through elected representatives) are also directly involved in the daily running of the camps. UNHCR have every
access.
The
to
6.
(If asked under what circumstances we should discontinue the closed camp policy.) We have always made it clear that the policy is not intended to be permanent and that if the flow of illegal departures from Vietnam were to be reduced
a trickle, such
deterrent measures would no longer be necessary. The policy has been effective in reducing level of new arrivals, but the flow
nevertheless continues.
We should be ready to discontinue policy whenever circumstances permitted.
the
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