what
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deterioration in the situation since mid-1987.
Between mid-1987
and mid-1988 the boat people population in Hong Kong rose from 8,000
to more than 25,000. In the first half of 1988 alone, there were
over 9,000 arrivals: that is three times more than in the whole of
1987; four times more than 1986: eight times more than 1985.
In addition to this massive numerical increase, it became clear
that there had been a change in the background and motivation of those who were arriving in Hong Kong. The overwhelming majority
of them were farmers and fishermen from the northern part of Vietnam
leaving in order to escape who were seeking a better life in the West. They were not escaping] from political or religious persecution and could not therefore
meet the internationally accepted criteria for refugee status.
explain why.
Such people stood little or no change of being resettled in the
West/ Their arrival in Hong Kong swamped the already stretched
reception facilities in the territory. It also made it more
difficult for genuine refugees to find resettlement places, as the
major resettlement countries began to question the wisdom of
resettlement programmes which appeared only to stimulate ever
greater numbers of departures.
By June of this year, it had become clear that the burden on Hong Kong had become intolerable, and that things could not go on as they were. It was no longer fair or realistic to pretend that all those
who arrived in Hong Kong by boat had the prospect of automatic
resettlement in the West. It would have been a cruel deception to offer those who plainly did not qualify as refugees the prospect of
a future which did not and could not exist. Nor could a civilised
Government leave such people to the mercy of the sea.
It was against this background that on 16 June, with our support,
the Hong Kong Government introduced a new policy of screening all boat people in arrival to distinguish genuine refugees from the
rest. The screening procedures are in accordance with established
international criteria and have been fully endorsed by the UNHCR.
UNHCR officials are able to monitor the screening and to give advice and assistance when appropriate. The procedures are fair and
objective.
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