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MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 1990
LORD CAITHNESS VISITS VR, VBP CENTRES
AFFAIRS,
THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH LORD
CAITHNESS, BEGAN HIS BUSY SCHEDULE OF PROGRAMMES THIS (MONDAY) MORNING WITH VISITS TO THE WHITEHEAD VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE DETENTION CENTRE AND A VIETNAMESE REfugee cenTRE AT PILLAR POINT IN TUEN MUN.
ACCOMPANIED BY THE SECRETARY FOR SECURITY, MR ALISTAIR
ASPREY, THE MINISTER FLEW TO PILLAR POINT REFUGEE CENTRE AND WAS MET BY THE CHIEF OF MISSION OF THE UNITED NATIONS HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES, MR ROBERT VAN LEEUWAN.
LORD CAITHNESS WAS BRIEFED BY THE CENTRE MANAGER,
MR JEFFREY HYNES, ON THE REFUGEE CENTRE WHICH HOUSES ABOUT 5,000 VIETNAMESE REFUGEES. THE REFUGEES ARE ALLOWED TO TAKE UP EMPLOYMENT AND MOST OF THEM WORK IN FACTORIES WHILE SOME ARE IN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY.
THE CONSTRUCTION COST OF THE CENTRE OF SIX MILLION POUNDS STERLING WAS FUNDED BY THE UNITED KINGDOM THROUGH THE UNHCR WHICH DESIGNATED A NON-PROFIT-MAKING COMPANY TO MANAGE THE CAMP.
AT WHITEHEAD DETENTION CENTRE, LORD CAITHNESS WAS MET BY THE COMMISSIONER OF CORRECTIONAL SERVICES, MR CHAN WA-SHEK. THE MINISTER WAS BRIEFED BY SENIOR SUPERINTENDENT OF THE CENTRE, MR TSUNG PUI- KWAN, AND THE ACTING PRINCIPAL IMMIGRATION OFFICER, MR HENRY SIU, ON THE OPERATION OF THE CENTRE WHICH HOUSES THE LARGEST POPULATION OF VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE.
OF THE 24,500 PEOPLE AT THE CENTRE, ABOUT 30 PER CENT ARE CHILDREN UNDER 14 YEARS OLD. THE POPULATION, THE MAJORITY OF WHOM ARE NORTH VIETNAMESE, ARE ACCOMMODATED IN DIFFERENT SECTIONS OF THE CENTRE ACCORDING TO THEIR PLACES OF ORIGIN AS FAR AS POSSIBLE.
THE MINISTER WAS TOLD THAT MORE THAN 2,000 VIETNAMESE WERE EMPLOYED BY THE MANAGEMENT IN VARIOUS DOMESTIC SERVICES AND PAID AT RATES APPROVED BY THE COMMISSIONER OF CORRECTIONAL SERVICES. IN ADDITION, ABOUT 850 WERE EMPLOYED AS HELPERS BY VARIOUS VOLUNTARY AGENCIES AND THE UNHCR.
NON-GOVERNMENT ORGANISATIONS, UNDER THE AUSPICES OF THE UNITED NATIONS HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES, PROVIDE A RANGE OF SERVICES IN THE CENTRE WHICH INCLUDED VOCATIONAL TRAINING, WORK PROGRAMMES, CANTEEN SERVICES, COUNSELLING AND RECREATION.
OBSERVING A SCREENING INTERVIEW, LORD CAITHNESS ALSO SAW FOR HIMSELF THE GOVERNMENT'S SCREENING PROCESS TO DETERMINE THE STATUS BETWEEN REFUGEES AND NON-REFUGEES AMONG THE VIETNAMESE POPULATION IN THE CENTRE.
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