16
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 14, 1988
"ALTHOUGH THE AVERAGE DAILY ARRIVALS HAVE DROPPED FROM 179 IN JULY TO EIGHT IN NOVEMBER, IT IS NOT CLEAR TO WHAT EXTENT THE SHARP DECLINE IS ATTRIBUTABLE TO THE NEW SCREENING POLICY INTRODUCED ON JUNE 16, 1988.
74
MR BARNES SAID ABOUT 2,800 REFUGEES WERE EXPECTED ΤΟ BE RESETTLED THIS YEAR.
THIS WAS A SMALL BUT WELCOME INCREASE COMPARED ΤΟ THE TOTAL RESETTLEMENT OF 2,212 IN 1987.
HOWEVER, THERE WOULD STILL BE OVER 15,000 REFUGEES REMAINING IN REFUGEE CENTRES AT THE END OF THE YEAR AND, IN ADDITION, SOME 9,600 VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE AWAITING SCREENING OR REPATRIATION IN THE DETENTION CENTRES.
"THE PRESENT INDICATIONS WERE THAT THE PROBLEMS OF VIETNAMESE REFUGEES AND BOAT PEOPLE WILL REMAIN WITH US FOR SOME TIME TO COME UNTIL RESETTLEMENT CAN BE STEPPED UP FOR REFUGEES AND BOAT PEOPLE CAN BE REPATRIATED TO VIETNAM, HE SAID.
"FURTHERMORE, THERE HAVE BEEN
RECENT SURGES OF ARRIVALS OF
VIETNAMESE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS FROM CHINA.
"OF THE TOTAL OF 749 VIETNAMESE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS FROM CHINA NOW IN HONG KONG, 462 HAVE LEFT THEIR FARMS IN GUANGXI AND ARRIVED BY BOAT THIS MONTH.
"
FOR SUCH PEOPLE THERE IS NO HOPE OF RESETTLEMENT OR INDEED ANY OTHER BENEFIT, IN COMING TO HONG KONG.
"THEY WILL BE RETURNED TO CHINA AS ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS."
MR BARNES SAID ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION FROM OTHER SOURCES IN ALSO REMAINED A PROBLEM.
CHINA
IN THE FIRST FIVE MONTHS OF THIS YEAR, 10,302 CHINESE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS WERE ARRESTED WHEN ATTEMPTING TO ENTER HONG KONG AND A FURTHER 2,044 WHO HAD EVADED SECURITY FORCES AT THE BORDER WERE ARRESTED SUBSEQUENTLY.
THIS COMPARED WITH 8,175 AND 1,663 RESPECTIVELY FOR THE CORRESPONDING PERIOD IN 1987.
"TO COUNTER THIS HIGH LEVEL PROSECUTION POLICY WAS STEPPED UP AND APPEAR TO HAVE HAD A DETERRENT EFFECT,
+
OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION, THE THE STIFF PENALTIES IMPOSED HE SAID.
"FROM JUNE TO NOVEMBER, THE TOTAL NUMBER OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS AND EVADERS ARRESTED DROPPED TO 7,501 AS COMPARED SAME PERIOD LAST YEAR.
+
ΤΟ
14,485 IN THE
/MR BARNES