UNCLASSIFIED
101023
MDLIAN 1538
STEM THE OUTFLOW OF ITS PEOPLE.
·
7. SECONDLY A SOLUTION MUST INCLUDE SCREENING OF ARRIVALS TO DETERMINE WHO ARE GENUINE REFUGEES AND WHO ARE NOT. THIS IS AN ESSENTIAL STEP BECAUSE EXPERIENCE HAS CLEARLY SHOWN THAT THE RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES ARE NO LONGER WILLING TO ACCEPT AS REFUGEES THOSE WHO ARE SIMPLY SEEKING A BETTER LIFE, AS OPPOSED TO THOSE FLEEING PERSECUTION. WE HAVE NEVER PRETENDED THAT THE POLICY OF SCREENING INTRODUCED LAST YEAR WOULD BY ITSELF BE A SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM, NOR STOP THE FLOW OF NEW ARRIVALS FROM VIETNAM. SCREENING MUST BE ACCOMPANIED BY REPATRIATION, AS ALL MEMBERS WHO HAVE SPOKEN HAVE POINTED OUT. BUT AT THE SAME TIME, REPATRIATION CANNOT TAKE PLACE WITHOUT SCREENING.
8. THIRDLY, A SOLUTION MUST INCLUDE RESETTLEMENT OF THOSE WHO ARE FOUND TO BE REFUGEES. WE HOPE THAT 4,000 OF THE PRESENT 15,000 REFUGEES IN HONG KONG WILL BE RESETTLED THIS YEAR. THE UNITED KINGDOM HAS PLAYED A PART IN THE INTERNATIONAL RESETTLEMENT EFFORT, AND AGREED EARLIER THIS YEAR TO TAKE AN ADDITIONAL 1,000 REFUGEES FROM HONG KONG OVER THE NEXT TWO TO THREE YEARS. OTHER COUNTRIES HAVE ALSO AGREED TO INCREASE THEIR RESETTLEMENT QUOTAS. THIS IS A IMPROVEMENT ON RECENT YEARS. BUT WE SHALL CONTINUE TO SEEK A LARGER AND QUICKER OFFTAKE, AND A CLEAR UNDERTAKING BY THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY TO RESETTLE ALL THE REFUGEES WITHIN A SHORT AND DEFINED
TIME FRAME.
9. FINALLY, A SOLUTION MUST INCLUDE REPATRIATION OF THOSE WHO ARE FOUND NOT TO BE REFUGEES. THIS IS INEXTRICABLY LINKED WITH OUR POLICY OF SCREENING. VOLUNTARY REPATRIATION HAS SO FAR PROVED VERY DISAPPOINTING. LESS THAN 150 HAVE RETURNED VOLUNTARILY TO VIETNAM, AND WE HAVE ONLY A FURTHER 70 APPLICATIONS IN HAND. I AGREE WITH
MEMBERS WHO HAVE SPOKEN IN THIS DEBATE THAT VOLUNTARY REPATRIATION IS NOT LIKELY TO PROVIDE THE SOLUTION WE SEEK BUT IF WE ARE TO GIVE IT A FAIR CHANCE, WE MUST DETERMINE QUICKLY AND FINALLY THE STATUS OF THE 18,500 BOAT PEOPLE NOW IN HONG KONG AND ANY FUTURE ARRIVALS. I WILL NOT PRETEND THAT MANY OF THOSE WHO ARE FOUND NOT TO BE REFUGEES ARE LIKELY TO VOLUNTEER TO RETURN TO VIETNAM: BUT CERTAINLY
FEW ARE LIKELY TO VOLUNTEER WHILE THEY STILL HAVE THE HOPE OF
SECURING REFUGEE STATUS.
10. OUR RATE OF SCREENING SO FAR HAS BEEN TOO SLOW: ONLY SOME 1,500 BOAT PEOPLE HAVE BEEN SCREENED SINCE OCTOBER LAST YEAR. OUR APPEAL PROCEDURE IS TOO LENGTHY: NO APPEALS HAVE BEEN DECIDED SO FAR. WE ARE DETERMMED TO IMPROVE THIS RECORD, THROUGH A SPEEDIER
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