WEDNESDAY, MAY 17, 1989.
"IT WAS THIS
FACT INESCAPABLE
THE AND
CONTINUING INCREASING PROBLEM WHICH IT CREATED FOR HONG KONG WHICH CAUSED INTRODUCE THE POLICY OF SCREENING LAST YEAR.
"THIS WAS A POLICY DEVISED IN HONG KONG. IT WAS IT HAS BECAUSE APPROVED BY THE UK GOVERNMENT IMPLICATIONS.
AND US TO
SUPPORTED
AND
INTERNATIONAL
"WE HAVE NEVER PRETENDED THAT SCREENING WOULD BY
STOP
FLOW THE
OF SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM, NOR VIETNAM, HE SAID.
ITSELF BE A NEW ARRIVALS
FROM
MR ASPREY SAID SCREENING MUST BE ACCOMPANIED
BY REPATRIATION,
BUT AT THE SAME TIME, IT COULD NOT TAKE PLACE WITHOUT SCREENING.
"THIRDLY, A SOLUTION MUST INCLUDE
ARE FOUND TO BE REFUGEES.
"WE HOPE THAT 4,000 OF THE KONG WILL BE RESETTLED THIS YEAR,
RESETTLEMENT OF THOSE WHO
PRESENT HE SAID.
15,000
IN REFUGEES
HONG
WHILE NOTING THAT THE UNITED KINGDOM AND
MR QUOTAS,
AGREED TO INCREASE RESETTLEMENT
AND
QUICKER
COMMUNITY
OTHER COUNTRIES HAD ASPREY SAID
SHOULD WE AND A OFFTAKE,
CLEAR ΤΟ RESETTLE ALL THE
TO SEEK CONTINUE
A LARGER UNDERTAKING BY
INTERNATIONAL THE REFUGEES WITHIN A SHORT AND DEFINED TIME FRAME.
"FINALLY, A SOLUTION MUST INCLUDE
REPATRIATION OF THOSE WHO
ARE FOUND NOT TO BE REFUGEES.
"THEY SHOULD INDEED BE TREATED AS ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS.
REPATRIATION
SCREENING, HE ADDED.
WAS
INEXTRICABLY
HE SAID.
LINKED WITH
THE
POLICY OF
HAD SO FAR
150 HAD RETURNED VOLUNTARILY
MR ASPREY POINTED OUT THAT VOLUNTARY REPATRIATION PROVED VERY DISAPPOINTING AND LESS THAN TO VIETNAM,
MR
ASPREY
SAID HE
AGREED
WITH
VOLUNTARY
MEMBERS THAT REPATRIATION WAS NOT LIKELY TO PROVIDE THE SOLUTION WE SOUGHT.
VOLUNTARY OR "BUT, IF WE ARE TO ACHIEVE REPATRIATION, WHETHER
THE STATUS OF THE MANDATORY, WE MUST DETERMINE QUICKLY AND FINALLY 18,500 BOAT PEOPLE NOW IN HONG KONG AND ANY FUTURE ARRIVALS.
BE
"I WILL NOT PRETEND THAT MANY OF THOSE WHO ARE FOUND NOT TO
BUT CERTAINLY REFUGEES ARE LIKELY TO VOLUNTEER TO RETURN TO VIETNAM;
WHILE THEY STILL HAVE THE TO VOLUNTEER
HOPE OF FEW ARE LIKELY SECURING REFUGEE STATUS," HE SAID.
SLOW
— —
MR ASPREY SAID THAT THE RATE OF SCREENING SO FAR HAD
PEOPLE HAD BEEN SCREENED ONLY SOME 1,500 BOAT
OCTOBER.
BEEN TOO SINCE
LAST
/OUR APPEAL