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MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 1990
HK'S VBP SCREENING PROCESS FAIR: LORD CAITHNESS
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THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS, CAITHNESS, SAID TODAY (MONDAY) THAT HONG KONG'S PROCESS OF SCREENING VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE WAS A FAIR SYSTEM.
LORD
SPEAKING TO REPORTERS AFTER VISITING THE WHITEHEAD DETENTION CENTRE, LORD CAITHNESS SAID: "WHAT HAS GOT TO BE RIGHT IS THAT THERE IS A SCREENING PROCESS AND THAT THE REFUGEES, THOSE THAT ARE SCREENED IN, ARE TAKEN SOMEWHERE ELSE AND THOSE THAT ARE SCREENED OUT MUST BACK TO VIETNAM.
GO
"AS
YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT A MEETING LATER THIS WEEK IN VIETNAM. I'M NOT GOING TO PREDICT HOW THAT MEETING IS GOING TO COME
OUT, BUT CLEARLY, THE NON-REFUGEES MUST GO BACK AS SOON AS POSSIBLE," HE SAID.
申申
"NON-REFUGEES HAVE GOT TO GO BACK TO THEIR COUNTRY OTHERWISE, FOR THE REFUGEES, YOU DISTURB THE WHOLE SYSTEM AND THE WORLD ORDER, HE ADDED.
"IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT ONE CATEGORISES THAT AND GETS THE TWO GROUPS ORGANISED. I'VE JUST SEEN A SCREENING PROCESS. THERE IS A RIGHT OF APPEAL, IT'S A FAIR SYSTEM, AND I THINK THAT THE AUTHORITIES HAVE LEARNT AS IT'S GONE ALONG AND THERE IS FULL CONSULTATION WITH THE UNHCR, THE MINISTER SAID.
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"I THINK IT'S ABSOLUTELY RIGHT THAT YOU HAVE AN APPEALS SYSTEM, AND APPEALS, AS IN THE BRITISH JUDICIAL SYSTEM, AS IN ANY FREE JUDICIAL SYSTEM, ARE THERE TO TAKE ACCOUNT OF VARIOUS FACTORS. AND THAT IS QUITE RIGHT.
**YOU HAVE A VERY GOOD AND EFFICIENT SCREENING PROCESS IN WHICH THE UNHCR CAN GO IN AT ANY TIME. YOU THEN HAVE 28 DAYS FOR APPEAL AND THIS IS RIGHT. IF THE INDEPENDENT TRIBUNAL COMES то A DIFFERENT DECISION FROM THAT OF THE IMMIGRATION OFFICER, THEN THAT IS PART OF THE SYSTEM, AND IT'S A VERY FAIR SYSTEM, LORD CAITHNESS SAID.
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THE MINISTER SAID ABOUT 11 PER CENT OF THE PEOPLE INTERVIEWED WERE SCREENED IN AS REFUGEES, FIGURE WAS ABOUT 14 PER CENT AS A RESULT OF APPEALS.
VIETNAMESE BOAT BUT THE OVERALL
LORD CAITHNESS SAID THERE HAD BEEN AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE SITUATION IN THE NUMBER OF ARRIVALS THIS YEAR, ADDING: "THERE HAS BEEN A MARKED REDUCTION IN THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE COMING, PARTICULARLY FROM NORTH VIETNAM.
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"THAT IS, IN ITSELF, GOOD, BUT WE WANT ΤΟ EXPEDITE THE SITUATION. THAT IS WHY WE ARE CONTINUING ΤΟ DISCUSS IT IN AN INTERNATIONAL FORUM WITH THE VIETNAMESE," HE ADDED.
SPEAKING OF THE VISIT THIS MORNING, THE MINISTER SAID: "I THE THING THAT STRUCK ME MOST OF ALL IS HOW WELL THE AUTHORITIES HAVE COPED HERE WITH THE SUDDEN INFLUX.
THINK
WHAT
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"ONE DOESN'T REALISE IT WHEN ONE IS SO FAR AWAY IN BRITAIN JUST THE INTENSITY WAS HERE IN HONG KONG WITH THE PEOPLE COMING IN, AND I COMMEND FULLY, THE WORK THAT THE GOVERNMENT HAVE DONE BACKED BY ALL THE APPROPRIATE AGENCIES," LORD CAITHNESS SAID.
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