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It is
be detained pending their eventual repatriation to Vietnam.
clear that the British government considers the vast majority of
those presently arriving in Hong Kong to be economic migrants and
that it will no longer allow such people to be resettled elsewhere.
It is understood that the British Foreign Secretary informed his
Vietnamese counterpart, Nguyen Co Thach, of the change in policy at a
meeting at the United Nations in New York last week.
authorities for the change in policy.
the
There is bound to be criticism of the Hong Kong and British
Although the U.N. High
Commission for Refugees will be invited to observe the screening
process and there will be an appeals procedure, many humanitarian
organizations will be uneasy about the new policy, Effectively it
will mean that there will be three types of camps in Hong Kong
open camps predating 1982, the tougher closed camps where refugees
will still have hope of eventual resettlement and what will amount to
detention camps where those classified as illegal immigrants will be
returned to Vietnam. The British government has said that this will
only happen when there are proper safeguards, but Vietnam will be in
no rush to take back those who have already effectively voted with
their feet. Many boat people arriving in Hong Kong therefore after
June 16th may only have a long period of detention and a return to
their home country to look forward to. END
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