FRIDAY, AUGUST 7, 1987
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TWO MORE CENTRES FOR EX-CHINA VIETNAMESE ARRIVALS
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THE GOVERNMENT IS TO OPEN TWO ADDITIONAL CENTRES ΤΟ ACCOMMODATE THE INFLUX OF EX-CHINA VIETNAMESE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS (ECVII'S), THE ACTING SECRETARY FOR SECURITY, MR ROBERT UPTON, SAID TODAY (FRIDAY).
THE NEW CENTRES WILL BE IN THE FORMER ARMY WORKSHOP AT SHAM SHUI PO AND IN THE ARMY'S ERSKINE TRAINING CAMP AT TAI PO TSAI. KUNG.
SAI
THE SHAM SHUI PO CENTRE WILL BE ABLE ΤΟ HOUSE UP ΤΟ 1,500 ECVII'S WHILE THE ERSKINE CENTRE WILL TAKE 1,000. IT IS PLANNED TO HAVE BOTH CAMPS OPEN WITHIN ONE WEEK.
MR UPTON INSPECTED THE GREEN ISLAND QUARANTINE AREA TODAY WHERE SEVERAL HUNDRED ECVII'S WERE AWAITING TRANSFER TO THE CENTRES. SOME ECVII'S HAVE ALREADY LEFT GREEN ISLAND FOR CENTRES, AND OTHERS WILL FOLLOW SHORTLY.
HE SAID HE WAS SATISFIED WITH THE ARRANGEMENTS AT GREEN ISLAND WHICH TODAY IS HOLDING ABOUT 600 ECVII'S.
MR UPTON SAID THAT THE CONDITIONS WERE BASIC, BUT THE ECVII'S HAD ALL ESSENTIAL SERVICES.
HE PAID TRIBUTE TO THE GOVERNMENT AGENCIES AND AUXILIARY SERVICES WHO HAD MADE GREAT EFFORTS TO SET UP THE NEW QUARANTINE AREA.
MR UPTON CONFIRMED THAT EX-CHINA VIETNAMESE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS WOULD BE RETURNED TO CHINA AS SOON AS ARRANGEMENTS COULD BE MADE WITH THE APPROPRIATE CHINESE AUTHORITIES.
MR UPTON SAID THE MATTER HAD BEEN RAISED WITH THE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS IN PEKING, WITO HAD EXPRESSED UNDERSTANDING OF HONG KONG'S PROBLEM, BUT MR UPTON COULD NOT SAY WHEN REPATRIATION WOULD COMMENCE.
IN THE MEANTIME, THE ECVII'S WILL BE HELD IN CENTRES AT CAPE COLLINSON (600), LITTLE SAI WAN (2,400), SHAM SJU1 PO (1,500) AND ERSKINE (1,000). THE ECVII'S WILL BE MOVED INTO THE CENTRES IN PHASES AS SPACE BECOMES AVAILABLE.
MEANWHILE, IN RESPONSE TO PRESS ENQUIRIES, MR UPTON SAID THERE WAS AN ESTABLISHED PROCEDURE FOR THE RETURN OF ECVII'S TO CHINA.
NEAR
WHEN ASKED WHETHER A MEETING WOULD TAKE PLACE IN CHINA
IN THE FUTURE. MR UPTON SAID HE WAS NOT AWARE OF ANY SPECIFIC ARRANGEMENTS, BUT HE WOULD NOT RULE OUT THE POSSIBILITY.
SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR, MORE THAN 3,200 SUSPECTED EX-CHINA VIETNAMESE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS HAVE ARRIVED IN HONG KONG.
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