UNITED NATIONS
HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES
Office of the Chargé de Mission
Telephones: 3-7809271 -4 Telegrams: HICOMREF HONG KONG Telex: 34980 UNHCR HX
Annex A
NATIONS UNIES
HAUT COMMISSARIAT.
POUR LES RÉFUGIÉS
Bureau du Chargé de Mission
P.O. Box 73887
Kowloon Central Post Office Hong Kong
EMBARGOED UNTIL 1600 HRS
PRESS RELEASE
On 9 June, the Government of the United Kingdom informed the High Commissioner of the intention cf the British and Hong Kong authorities to establish a mechanism for refugee status determination for Vietnamese boat people arriving in Hong Kong. The number of such arrivals has recently increased and the population of Vietnamese refugees ir. Hong Kong now exceeds 16,000.
While UNHCR, in principle, supports the establishment of refugee status determination procedures, it has expressed to the British authorities its concern over the timing of this decision. UNHCR is presently involved in sensitive discussions with all parties directly concerned, including with the Government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, with a view, inter alia, to facilitating a sound programme of eligibility determination which would include the possibility of the return of non-refugee cases to the country of origin under acceptable conditions. Over the last two years, UNHCR has indeed been in intensive contact and consultations with governments with a view to addressing the emerging concerns over the continuation of the flow of Vietnamese boat people. Recently, UNHCR completed an important round of talks in Geneva with a delegation of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam on the expansion of the Orderly Departure Programme and conditions under which the non-refugee cases might be re-admitted to Vietnam.
Furthermore, given the prevailing asylum situation in the region, UNHCR, while understanding the increasing difficulties in Hong Kong as a result of arrivals of boat people, remains concerned that unilateral decisions by parties involved could seriously compromise the collective efforts to reach a co-ordinated solution.