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March 1989, nearly 12,000 Vietnamese have volunteered for
repatriation from Hong Kong. The UK supports voluntary
repatriation but it is clear that this alone cannot solve
the problem. In December 1989, the British and Hong Kong Governments, in agreement with the Vietnamese authorities,
returned 51 non-refugees to Vietnam even though they had not
volunteered to go back. Conditions for their return were
similar to those for volunteers. But in response to the international criticism this action generated, the Vietnamese declined to agree to further mandatory repatriation.
13.
Officials from Vietnam, the UK and Hong Kong, together with representatives of UNHCR and the International
Organisation for Migration met in Hanoi from 23-27 September to discuss additional means of accelerating the rate of
return to Vietnam of non-refugees. At the meetings, the Vietnamese indicated that they would be prepared to receive
all non-refugees returned to Vietnam in accordance with normal international practices. Following this, the
British, Hong Kong and Vietnamese Governments reached
agreement on 17 October on the modalities of return of the
'double-backers' (ie those who having volunteered to return
to Vietnam once there by benefitting from UNHCR cash assistance entered Hong Kong illegally a second time) and on
29 October they signed a statement of understanding on the
principles of an Orderly Repatriation Programme (ORP).
Under this, as a first step, all Vietnamese Migrants who arrive in Hong Kong after 29 October 1991 will be screened immediately. Those who, after screening and appeal are determined not to be refugees and who do not volunteer to
return to Vietnam will then be repatriated without delay.
14. The first repatriation of 59 'double-backers' took
place on 9 November. A further 16 "double-backers" and 12
new arrivals flew back to Vietnam on 10 December. All had
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