2
TUESDAY, JULY 17, 1990
ΤΟ
HAVE
KONG
TO
IN
ANOTHER IMPROVEMENT WAS THAT TO ENABLE ASYLUM SEEKERS A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE SCREENING PROCESS, THE HONG
PAMPHLET GOVERNMENT WAS NOW SUPPLEMENTING UNHCR'S BRIEFING WITH A BE GIVEN TO ALL ASYLUM SEEKERS EXPLAINING THE SCREENING PROCEDURES DETAILS.
MR MAUDE NOTED THAT UNHCR'S LEGAL COUNSELLORS WERE ALLOWED TO BE PRESENT TO MONITOR ANY INTERVIEW, AND THAT UNHCR HAD ACCEPTED RESPONSIBILITY FOR PROVIDING LEGAL ADVICE
ΤΟ ASSISTANCE
ASYLUM SEEKERS AT ALL STAGES OF THE SCREENING AND REVIEW PROCESS.
AND
HE ALSO NOTED THAT WORKSHOPS TO IMPROVE INTERPRETATION SKILLS WERE BEING ORGANISED FOR INTERPRETERS, AND THAT ALL INFORMATION
SEEKERS' OBTAINED DURING INTERVIEWS WAS RECORDED IN THE ASYLUM
FILE, COPIED TO UNHCR WHO HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO RECTIFY
OMISSIONS OR ERRORS WHEN PREPARING AN APPEAL TO THE REFUGEE STATUS REVIEW BOARD.
ANY
MR MAUDE POINTED OUT THAT THE HONG KONG AUTHORITIES HAD NO ULTERIOR INTEREST IN THE OUTCOME OF SCREENING INTERVIEWS SINCE NEITHER REFUGEES NOR NON-REFUGEES WOULD REMAIN IN THE TERRITORY.
TURNING TO THE MANAGEMENT OF VBP CENTRES, MR MAUDE SAID MOST OF THE PROBLEMS WHICH HAD ARISEN IN THE CENTRES WERE
то DUE
OVERCROWDING.
"WHILE THE HONG KONG AUTHORITIES HAVE BEEN BUILDING ADDITIONAL CENTRES TO IMPROVE SPACE AND CONDITIONS, THE ONLY REAL SOLUTION IN THE LONG-TERM IS FOR THOSE WHO ARE NOT REFUGEES TO RETURN TO THEIR COUNTRY OF ORIGIN,' HE SAID.
||
NEVERTHELESS, IMPORTANT STEPS HAD BEEN TAKEN. THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT RECENTLY ANNOUNCED THAT THE BOAT PEOPLE WERE TO BE ALLOWED GREATER INVOLVEMENT IN THE RUNNING OF CENTRES.
"ONE ELEMEnt of thHIS GREATER INVOLVEMENT IS THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A MECHANISM TO ENABLE THE CORRECTIONAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT CONSULT THE VIETNAMESE COMMUNITY LEADERS, UNHCR AND THE VOLUNTARY AGENCIES ON THE IDENTIFICATION AND TRANSFER OF INDIVIDUALS WHOSE BEHAVIOUR HAD DISRUPTED GOOD ORDER IN DETENTION CENTRES.
TO
MA
TENSION
"SOME PEOPLE HAVE BEEN TRANSFERRED TO ANOTHER CENTRE AT CHI WAN WITH THE RESULT THAT THERE HAS BEEN A MARKED REDUCTION OF IN THE WHITEHEAD DETENTION CENTRE, HE NOTED.
H
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