First group of
Have made a start with voluntary repatriation.
volunteers returned to Vietnam under UNHCR auspices on 2 March. Hope success of voluntary repatriation programme will encourage
others to go back.
Not talking about compulsory repatriation at this stage. But
only viable option for people screened out is to return to their own
country, once satisfactory arrangements for this have been made in
consultation with Vietnamese authorities.
Illegal immigrants from China are returned immediately. Last
year some 21,000 were sent back with the co-operation of the Chinese. After 1997, Chinese from other parts of China who try to
enter the Hong Kong SAR will continue to be sent back.
Problem of large numbers of economic migrants trying to claim refugee status not limited to Hong Kong. On 20 February 1989, the
US announced tough new measures over Central American asylum
seekers, confining them to camps and repatriating them quickly if
their request for asylum is turned down.