BACKGROUND
NEW POLICY
CNI
TIAL
1. The Hong Kong Government announced on 15 June that all Vietnamese boat people arriving in Hong Kong would henceforth be treated as illegal immigrants unless, after screening, it was established that they were genuine refugees. Screening will follow UNHCR guidelines. UNHCR will be able to check these procedures are followed. They will also be involved in appeals. Genuine refugees will be accommodated initially in closed camps with other refugees already in the territory. Overtime, conditions in these camps will be liberalised. Non-refugees will be held as illegal immigrants without access to resettlement, pending repatriation to Vietnam under acceptable conditions when this is possible.
2.
The latest statistics demonstrate the dramatic increase in arrivals in recent months which have made a change of policy unavoidable. On 10 June there were some 15,600 Vietnamese boat people in Hong Kong compared with less than 8000 a year ago. Arrivals so far in June are averaging 200 a day. Departures are not keeping pace.
1986
1987
1988 up to June
Arrivals
2055
3395
7118
Departures
3816
2212
1174
A
Further statistics on resettlement
are attacked