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FRIDAY, MARCH 10, 1989
BOAT PEOPLE: FIRM BASIS FOR HK TO GO FORWARD
A DRAFT COMPREHENSIVE PLAN OF ACTION JUST AGREED IN KUALA LUMPUR HAS PROVIDED HONG KONG WITH A FIRM BASIS TO GO FORWARD WITH ITS POLICY ON VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE.
THE SECRETARY FOR SECURITY. MR GEOFFREY BARNES, SAID THIS TODAY (FRIDAY) ON HIS RETURN FROM A THREE-DAY PREPARATORY CONFERENCE THERE ON INDOCHINESE ASYLUM SEEKERS.
THE
MR BARNES SAID THE DRAFT DOCUMENT COVERED, AMONG OTHER THINGS, PRINCIPLE THAT ASYLUM SEEKERS WHO WERE DETERMINED
BE NON-REFUGEES SHOULD BE RETURNED TO THE COUNTRIES OF ORIGIN.
"AND OTHER COUNTRIES OF FIRST ASYLUM IN EXPECTED TO INTRODUCE A SCREENING PROCESS FOR ASYLUM TO THE ONE ALREADY INTRODUCED IN HONG KONG FROM JUNE SAID.
ΤΟ
THIS REGION ARE SEEKERS SIMILAR LAST YEAR," HE
"THIS GIVES HONG KONG A FIRM BASIS TO GO AHEAD WITH ITS POLICY OF RETURNING NON-REFUGEES TO THE COUNTRY OF ORIGIN. IN THE FIRST INSTANCE, ON A VOLUNTARY BASIS.
"WHEN THERE ARE NO MORE VOLUNTEERS, WE WILL THEN ADDRESS OURSELVES ΤΟ THE PROBLEM OF THOSE WHO ARE SCREENED OUT AS NON-REFUGEES AND WHO ARE NOT WILLING TO GO BACK.
"OUR ULTIMATE AIM IS TO RETURN THEM TO THE COUNTRY OF ORIGIN THE PRINCIPLE HAS BEEN ENDORSED BY THE PREPARATORY CONFERENCE.'
[
MR BARNES DESCRIBED THE CONFERENCE AS "VERY USEFUL" AND "SATISFACTORY IN EVERY RESPECT".
"THERE WAS 1 GREAT SENSE OF RESPONSIBILITY AMONG THE PARTICIPATING COUNTRIES WHICH AGREED THAT THE DRAFT COMPREHENSIVE PLAN OF ACTION WOULD GO FORWARD TO THE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE TO BE HELD IN GENEVA FOR FORMAL ENDORSEMENT,' HE SAID.
"THE DOCUMENT COVERS SCREENING, CLANDESTINE AND ORDERLY DEPARTURES OF ASYLUM SEEKERS, REPATRIATION AND RESETTLEMENT.
"THE CONFERENCE HAS ALSO AGREED TO SETTING UP A CO-ORDINATING COMMITTEE, OF WHICH THE UNITED KINGDOM AND HONG KONG WILL BE A MEMBER,
IT WILL HAVE THREE SUB-COMMITTEES, ONE EACH ON RECEPTION AND SCREENING, RESETTLEMENT AS WELL AS DEPARTURE AND REPATRIATION.
*THE SUB-COMMITTEE ON SCREENING IS EXPECTED ΤΟ HOLD ITS MEETING IN HONG KONG IN EARLY APRIL.. I OFFERED SERVICES BECAUSE WE ARE THE ONLY TERRITORY WITH EXPERIENCE
SCREENING OF ASYLUM SEEKERS.'
IN THE
/ON VOLUNTARY ............