36
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 15, 1988
NEW POLICY ON BOAT PEOPLE FROM VIETNAM
* *
A ADOPT
NEW
FROM
TONIGHT MIDNIGHT SEEKING TO ENTER ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS AFTER A SCREENING PROCESS,
WILL
POLICY HONG KONG (WEDNESDAY) UNDER WHICH ALL VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE HONG KONG AS ECONOMIC MIGRANTS WILL BE TREATED AS UNLESS THEY ARE ACCORDED REFUGEE STATUS THE SECRETARY FOR SECURITY, MR GEOFFREY BARNES, SAID TODAY.
A PRESS CONFERENCE, MR BARNES ANNOUNCING THE NEW POLICY AT
PEOPLE ARRIVING SAID FROM ONE MINUTE PAST MIDNIGHT TONIGHT, ALL BOAT
LATER IDENTIFIED BY THE FROM VIETNAM, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THOSE
REFUGEES, WILL BE HELD IN SCREENING PROCESS AS GENUINE
DETENTION CENTRES PENDING REPATRIATION TO VIETNAM.
"THEY WILL NOT HAVE
ACCESS TO RESETTLEMENT
SAID.
PROCESSING,
**
HE
1951
UNITED NATIONS
AS
THE IMMIGRATION DEPARTMENT "THOSE WHO ARE SCREENED IN BY
CONVENTION WILL BE REFUGEES ACCORDING TO THE ACCOMMODATED IN REFUGEE CAMPS WITH ACCESS TO RESETTLEMENT PROCESSING, HE SAID.
MR BARNES POINTED OUT THAT GENUINE REFUGEES
FEAR
OF
PERSECUTIONS
OR MEMBERSHIP
OF
ON A
GROUNDS PARTICULAR
"
WHO HAD A 'WELL
OF
RACE, SOCIAL OR
FOUNDED NATIONALITY GROUPING" WOULD NOT BE PENALISED BY THIS CHANGE IN POLICY.
WILL BE
RELIGION,
POLITICAL
WITH UNHCR THE GOVERNOR IN
ACCORDANCE "THE SCREENING PROCEDURE
IN GUIDELINES AND THERE WILL BE AN AVENUE OF APPEAL TO COUNCIL.
WILL CONTINUE FOR
"THOSE WITH REFUGEE STATUS ALREADY IN HONG KONG TO BE TREATED ACCORDINGLY, AND WILL BE OPEN TO SUCH OPPORTUNITIES RESETTLEMENT AS MAY BECOME AVAILABLE.
AS
THE
"BUT FOR THOSE SCREENED OUT
IMMIGRANTS, ILLEGAL
AND AT CHI PROSPECT IS ONE OF DETENTION AT CENTRES ON HEI LING CHAU MA WAN UNTIL THEY ARE REPATRIATED TO VIETNAM,
HE SAID.
OF POLICY, WHICH HAD MR BARNES POINTED OUT THAT THIS CHANGE
AND BEEN WORKED OUT BY THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT IN CONSULTATION WITH, WITH THE APPROVAL OF, THE UK GOVERNMENT, WAS NO QUIXOTIC MOVE.
"A DETERRENT HAD TO BE FOUND.
SINCE 1975.
"HONG KONG HAS BEEN ACCEPTING VIETNAMESE REFUGEES DURING THIS TIME, WE HAVE GIVEN REFUGE TO ABOUT 120,000 BOAT PEOPLE.
/"NONE HAS .......