POPULATION AND IMMIGRATION
In view of the gradual reduction in the size of the refugee population, the Tuen Mun Open Centre and the Kai Tak Transit Centre for refugees were closed on September 18 and October 31, 1991, respectively. All remaining refugees are now accommodated in the Pillar Point Vietnamese Refugees Centre.
The cost of looking after the 60 000 Vietnamese illegal immigrants and refugees in Hong Kong came to $1,200 million in 1991, of which $1,196 million was spent on detention centres and $4 million on open centres. The Hong Kong Government met $885 million of this cost, the United Kingdom Government contributed $80 million to the UNHCR specifically earmarked for UNHCR's programmes in Hong Kong and UNHCR agreed to meet $235 million, of which (including the outstanding debt owed by the UNHCR since 1989) $458 million was still owing to the Hong Kong Government at the end of the year.
Following the introduction of counselling services provided by the government for new arrivals at the Green Island Reception Centre in May 1991, the number of volunteers joining the UNHCR Voluntary Repatriation Scheme picked up significantly. During the year, 7700 Vietnamese illegal immigrants returned to Vietnam voluntarily under this scheme. It was clear by the summer that the scheme had regained the momentum which it had lost at the start of the year. The government believes that an agreement reached with Vietnam on the orderly return of refugees within the framework of the CPA will in turn lead to more Vietnamese agreeing to join the voluntary scheme.
Thus, by the end of 1991, Hong Kong still faced a major humanitarian problem in trying to care for Vietnamese illegal immigrants. But for the first time in many years, there seemed reason to hope that in 1992 the burden might be eased and, finally, those stranded in the camps without hope of securing a new life overseas might begin to resume their lives back in their own homeland.
371