WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 1981
+F IRST ASYLUM+ POLICY STILL STANDS
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THE SECRETARY FOR SECURITY, THE HON LEWIS DAVIES, SAID TODAY HONG KONG WOULD NEED TO CONSIDER ITS POLICY OVER VIETNAMESE KEFUGEES IN THE LIGHT OF CHANGES IN THE AGREEMENT REACHED AT THE GENEVA CONFERENCE IN JULY 1979.
HE WAS REPLING TO A QUESTION FROM DR THE HON HO KAM-FAI „HE WANTED TO KNOW WHETHER THE GOVERNMENT WOULD CONSIDER CHANGING ITS +PORT OF FIRST CALL* POLICY IN VIEW OF THE INCREASING DIFFICULTIES IN RESETTLING VIETNAMESE REFUGEES OVERSEAS AND
INDICATIONS THAT MANY ARE SIMPLY ECONOMIC ADVENTURERS.
MR DAVIES SAID THE GOVERNMENT'S POLICY OVER VIETNAMESE REFUGEES IS TO CONTINUE TO CARRY OUT THE AGREEMENT REACHED AT THE GENEVA CONFERENCE, UNDER WHICH COUNTRIES OF FIRST ASYLUM UNDERTAKE TO ALLOW REFUGEES TO STAY TEMPORARILY, PENDING THE IR RESETTLEMENT OVERSEAS.
FOR ITS PART, HE ADDED, THE OFFICE OF THE UNITED NATIONS HIGH COMMISSION FOR REFUGEES UNDERTAKES TO USE ITS BEST ENDEAVOURS TO SECURE SUCH RESETTLEMENT.
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+SHOULD ANY CHANGES IN THE JULY 1979 ARRANGEMENTS BE MADE, OR CONTEMPLATED. THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT WOULD NEED TO CONSIDER ITS POSITION IN THE LIGHT OF SUCH DEVELOPMENTS,+ SAID MR DAVIES.
MEANWHILE, MEASURES CONTAINED IN THE IMMIGRATION ORDINANCE AND THE MERCHANT SHIPPING ORDINANCE TO COMBAT ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION AND TO DEAL WITH VIETNAMESE REFUGEES HAVE BEEN EXTENDED FOR ANOTHER YEAR, UNTIL THE END OF 1982.
THE MEASURES WHICH WERE DUE TO EXPIRE AT THE END OF THIS YEAR RELATE TO THE TRAFFICKING OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS, MAKE VIETNAMESE REFUGEES SUBJECT TO REMOVAL FROM HONG KONG AT ANY TIME, AND PROVIDE FOR THE FORFEITURE OF VESSELS CARRYING EXCESS PASSENGERS.
STRESSING THE NEED FOR EXTENDING THE VARIOUS PROVISIONS IN THE TWO ORDINANCES, MR DAVIES, SAID THEY PROVIDED AN IMPORTANT DETERRENT WHICH IT WOULD BE UNWISE NOT TO RETAIN DURING 1982.
WHILE THERE HAD NOT BEEN ANY MAJOR INFLUX OF VIETNAMESE REFUGEES OF THE KIND EXPERIENCED IN 1979, HE SAID, ARRIVALS CONTINUE AT AN UNCOMFORTABLE HIGH RATE.+
THE 8 154 BOAT REFUGEES WHO HAD ARRIVED DIRECT FROM VIETNAM SO FAR THIS YEAR REPRESENTED AN UNWELCOME INCREASE OVER THE € 788 ARRIVALS LAST YEAR.
AS A RESULT THERE ARE STILL 13 328 VIETNAMESE REFUGEES IN HONG KONG AWAITING RESETTLEMENT. THIS INCLUDED 880 WHO HAD BEEN RESCUED AT SEA BY OCEAN-GOING VESSELS.
HE ALSO NOTED THAT DURING THE FIRST TEN MONTHS THIS YEAR, 6 403 ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS FROM CHINA HAD BEEN ARRESTED AND
23 FROM MACAU. IN ADDITION, 1 116 AND 12 EVADERS FROM CHINA ANL MACAU RESPECTIVELY HAD BEEN ARRESTED DURING THE SAME PERIOD.