Vovi
M.Hum, HKD
MEMBERS OF LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
22
立法局議員
Iradorce
pse.
Mr Ronald Timothy Renton, MP
House of Commons
LONDON SW1A OAA
ыкпа 249/9
UK
RECEN
2 1 JAN 1987
Dear Mr Renton,
C
INDES
TRY
inn fakenl
Another cicadan
14 January 1987 Letter?
Afrikendus de
1%
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Кне
Vietnamese Refugees in Hong Kong
I am writing at the request of all Members of the Legislative Council of Hong Kong to express our concern about the problem of Vietnamese refugees in Hong Kong and our deep disappointment at HMG's continuing failure to take the lead in finding a solution to the problem.
We are now accepting legal immigrants from China at a rate of 75 a day (equivalent to an annual population increase of 0.5%): the strain that this puts on our social services is considerable. In addition to this we are continuing to devote valuable resources to fering, clothing and housing a substantial population of Vietnamese boat people the majority of whom are no longer being seen as genuine refugees by resettlement countries. The Hong Kong Government enforces a strict policy of immediately repatriating every person who illegally enters Hong Kong from any other country, including China, whatever his reasons for wishing to come here: even children with parents in Hong Kong are repatriated under this policy. Yet we accept for first asylum all boat people who enter Hong Kong waters from Vietnam whether they are genuine refugees or merely economic opportunists. This is increasingly
a double standard which cannot be being seen in Hong Kong as justified.
Other countries in the region, many of which are taking much harsher measures to deter boat people from Vietnam, are enjoying a much faster resettlement rate for their refugee population. Our consistently humane and undiscriminating policy seems only to have resulted in more arrivals and a diminishing rate of resettlement.
Legislative Council Building, 8 Jackson Road, Central, Hong Kong. + EAE Tel: 5-8440700
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