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THIS OFFERED THE BEST PROSPECT OF A LASTING SOLUTION. BARNES SAID
THAT THE VOLUNTARY REPATRIATION PROGRAMME HAD GONE WELL: BUT IT WAS NOT IN ITSELF A SOLUTION. THE SCALE WAS TOO SMALL AND IT HAD NO DETERRENT VALUE. HE EMPHASISED THE URGENCY OF INTRODUCING A MANDATORY REPATRIATION PROGRAMME IF WE WERE TO MAKE A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON THE RATE OF ARRIVALS IN 1990. WITHOUT THE FULL IMPLEMENTATION OF THE CPA THE COUNTRIES FIRST ASYLUM WOULD BE LEFT WITHOUT A MECHANISM FOR BRINGING THE PROBLEM UNDER CONTROL. IN
COMMENTING ON THE CALLS TO END FIRST ASYLUM BARNES SAID THAT THE CPA, IF FULLY IMPLEMENTED, OFFERED A PRACTICAL AND HUMANE SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM. FULL TEXT OF HIS REPLY FOLLOWS FOR HKD BY FAX.
COMMENT
5. THE MOTION PROPOSED BY ALLEN LEE (SENIOR MEMBER) WAS DELIBERATELY RESTRAINED AND CONSTRUCTIVE. BUT IT WAS CLEAR THAT
STORIES OF PLANS FOR IMMINENT REPATRIATION AND THE CLEAR DECISION
IN FAVOUR OF IT BY HMG HAVE BOUGHT TIME. FOR THE MOMENT MOST
MEMBERS ARE PREPARED TO GIVE THE GOVERNMENT THE BENEFIT OF THE
DOUBT ON THE EFFICACY OF THE MANDATORY REPATRIATION PROGRAMME. BUT IF FOR ANY REASON IT FAILS TO GET OFF THE GROUND, STUMBLES OR FAILS TO DETER AN INFLUX NEXT YEAR THERE WILL BE PLENTY OF VOICES CALLING
FOR MORE DRASTIC ACTION. BUT EVEN THE MOTION WAS PASSED BY A SUBSTANTIAL MAJORITY IT WAS CLEAR FROM THE GENERAL TONE OF SPEECHES THAT A SUBSTANTIAL NUMBER OF MEMBERS ALMOST CERTAINLY A MAJORITY, WOULD HAPPILY HAVE VOTED FOR SOMETHING A GREAT DEAL TOUGHER.
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CO/LC 2/133/89
HK B
Oil 15
Government Secretariat
Hong Kong
Date : 30 October 1989
87
tame
The Chief
Secretary,
Hong Kong, presents
his
compliments
to the
Commonwealth Affairs
Secretary and has the
of State for Foreign
and
honour to forward to him the
following documents:
Type of document
Date of sitting
No. of copies
Legislative Council Minutes
25 October 1989
3 copies