FRIDAY, AUGUST 7, 1987
GOVERNMENT IN CLOSE CONTACT WITH CHINESE OVER VIETNAMESE INFLUX
THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT IS IN CLOSE CONTACT WITH THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE RECENT INFLUX OF VIETNAMESE ARRIVALS FROM CHINA ARE REPATRIATED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, THE ACTING GOVERNOR, MR DAVID FORD, SAID TODAY (FRIDAY).
"WE ARE IN CLOSE TOUCH WITH THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT, PEKING AND LOCALLY, AND THEY ARE VERY UNDERSTANDING OF THE PROBLEM, AND I'M SURE THAT TOGETHER WE WILL BE ABLE TO SOLVE IT.
BOTH
IN
ILLEGAL
"AS FAR AS WR'RE CONCERNED, THESI PEOPLE ARE INMIGRANTS, AND MUST BE RETURNED TO CHINA. AND WE WILL BE WORKING CLOSELY WITH CHINA TO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE WHO COME ARE BROUGHIT BACK AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE, HE SAID.
MR FORD WAS SPEAKING ΤΟ REPORTERS AFTER VISITING FOUR PIO FARMS IN THE NEW TERRITORIES. HE SAID THESE EX-CHINA VIETNAMESE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS DID CREATE A SERIOUS PROBLEM FOR HONG KONG.
"WE HAD 2,000 LAST WEER, AND SO FAR THIS WEEK WE HAD A THOUSAND, AND THAT OBVIOUSLY DOES PUT A GREAT STRAIN UPON OUR RESOURCES," HE SAID.
IN THE MEANTIME, KONO HAD TO LOOK AFTER STRESSED, HOWEVER, THAT THEIR STAY WOULD HAVE TO
HE ADDED, IN THE INTEREST OF HUMANITY HONG THIEM BY PROVIDING THEM WITII SHELTERS. HE THESE PEOPLE WERE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS AND BE KEPT AS SHORT AS POSSIBLE.
"WE HAVE TO LOOK AFTER THEM BY PUTTING A ROOF OVER THEIR HEADS, MAKING SURE THEY DO NOT SUFFER IN THE CASE OF A TYPHOON. THAT'S WHY WE HAD TO OPEN UP VARIOUS CAMPS WHERE THEY WILL BE ON
TEMPORARY
BASIS AS ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS.
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THEY ARE
"THEY ARE NOT, AS FAR AS WE ARE CONCERNED, REFUGEES. ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS. THEY'RE HERE ON A TEMPORARY BASIS AND WE MUST MAKE SURE THAT THEIR STAY IS KEPT AS SHORT AS POSSIBLE.
REGARDING HOW MUCH THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR THESE ARRANGEMENTS, MR FORD SAID THE ACTUAL COST WAS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO WORK OUT BECAUSE MANY DEPARTMENTS WERE INVLOVED, BUT HE ADDED THAT IT WAS A COST HONG KONG WOULD LIKE TO GET RID OF.
"IT IS A COST WHICH WE CAN'T AFFORD TO GO ON BEARING LONG TERM," HE SAID.
IN THE
WHEN ASKED IF THE GOVERNMENT WOULD REOPEN MORE CAMPS IN THE NEAR FUTURE, MR FORD SAID HONG KONG WOULD PROVIDE WHATEVER SHELTERS IT HAD TO PROVIDE ON A TEMPORARY BASIS.
"IT WILL BE A TEMPORARY
STRESSED.
SHELTER, AND NOTILING MORE, HE
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"ALL WE ARE LOOKING FOR IS A TEMPORARY ROOF OVER THEIR HEADS UNTIL WE CAN RETURN THEM TO CHINA, HE SAID.
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