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HAD BEEN SET UP NO LONGER APPLIED AND IT WAS HOPED THAT THE SCREENING POLICY WOULD BECOME A SUFFICIENT DETERRENT TO STEM THE INFLUX).
5. THE COMMITTEE ARE THEREFORE LIKELY TO FOCUS ON THE
FOLLOWING:
(A) WHY SCREENING, RESETTLEMENT AND REPATRIATION ARE TAKING LONGER THAN ENVISAGED. (THERE WOULD SEEM TO BE GOOD REASONS, BEYOND HONG KONG GOVERNMENT'S CONTROL, TO EXPLAIN THIS).
IF
(B) WHY VBPS HAVE TO BE DETAINED IN CLOSED CAMPS AT ALL.
THE REASON FOR DETENTION IN 1982 WAS DETERRENCE AND THE SCREENING POLICY INTRODUCED IN 1988 WAS SUPPOSED TO REPLACE THIS, WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF DETENTION NOW? IF YOUR ARGUMENT WERE TO RELY ON PUBLIC ORDER RATHER THAN DETERRENCE, YOU SHOULD NEED TO BE READY TO GIVE A REASONED EXPLANATION TO THE COMMITTEE.
6. WE SHOULD BE GRATEFUL FOR A SIGHT OF SORT OF DEFENCE YOU
WOULD OFFER ON (B). WE HAVE BEEN CONSIDERING WHETHER AN INITIAL BRIEF EXPLANATION OF THE REASONS FOR DETENTION IN CLOSED CAMPS SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN YOUR UPDATE TO THE REPORT OR KEPT BACK FOR REPLIES TO QUESTIONS FROM THE COMMITTEE. GRATEFUL FOR YOUR VIEWS.
7. DEPENDING ON THE LEVEL OF EXPECTED CRITICISM FROM THE COMMITTEE, WE MAY WISH TO SUBMIT TO MINISTERS IN ADVANCE FOR INFORMATION. IF YOU WISH TO PURSUE AMENDMENTS TO THE IMMIGRATION ORDINANCE, WE SHALL CERTAINLY NEED TO SUBMIT. WE SHOULD THEREFORE BE GRATEFUL FOR YOUR VIEWS ON THE ABOVE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
8. WE ARE COPYING THIS TELEGRAM AND TUR TO UKMIS NEW YORK AND UKMIS GENEVA IN CASE THEY HAVE ANY COMMENTS ON THE LIKELY LINE OF QUESTIONING AND OUR TACTICS.
HURD
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