WEDNESDAY, JULY 10, 1991
20
CLOSURE OF VIETNAMESE REFUGEE CAMPS AND NEW MEASURES AT DETENTION CENTRES
* *
TWO OF THE THREE REMAINING VIETNAMESE REFUGEE CAMPS CLOSED DOWN IN THE NEXT FEW MONTHS.
WILL BE
MR
ANNOUNCING THIS TODAY (WEDNESDAY), THE REFUGEE COORDINATOR,
OF ADDITIONAL SECURITY MEASURES CLINTON LEEKS
GAVE DETAILS ALSO
NON- REQUIRED AT DETENTION CENTRES TO DEAL WITH THE GROWING NUMBER OF REFUGEES.
REDUCED TO
PRESENTED A DWINDLING
THE TOTAL NUMBER OF VIETNAMESE REFUGEES HAS BEEN LESS THAN 6,000, AND MR LEEKS SAID THEY NOW PROBLEM FOR HONG KONG.
"ABOUT 3,600 REFUGEES HAVE BEEN RESETTLED FROM HONG KONG SO FAR ASYLUM THIS YEAR. IN ADDITION, WITH EFFECT FROM APRIL 1, VIETNAMESE SEEKERS WHO ARE SCREENED IN AS REFUGEES ARE TRANSFERRED TO A DEPARTURE
TO AWAIT RESETTLEMENT," IN CENTRE
BATAAN IN THE PHILIPPINES EXPLAINED.
HR
"AT THE PRESENT RATE OF RESETTLEMENT, THE CURRENT POPULATION OF NUMBER BY REFUGEES WILL HAVE BEEN REDUCED FURTHER TO A MUCH SMALLER
COMPREHENSIVE THE END OF THIS YEAR. THE RESETTLEMENT PORTION OF THE
AS AT 1 JULY 1989; PLAN OF ACTION (CPA) HAS WORKED EXTREMELY WELL.
THERE WERE OVER 14,000 WHEN THE CPA RESETTLEMENT PROGRAMME BEGAN, REFUGEES IN HONG KONG COMPARED TO ONLY 5,800 TODAY. IN ADDITION ALMOST 5,000 REFUGEES HAVE BEEN SCREENED IN SINCE THAT DATE. VERY IMPRESSIVE RESPONSE BY THE RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES."
THIS HAS BEEN A
TRANSFERRED
IN
REFUGEES LIVING IN THE TUEN MUN AND KAI TAK TRANSIT CENTRES ARE PHASES BEING NOTIFIED
WEEK THAT THEY WILL BE THIS
POINT VIETNAMESE REFUGEE EITHER ΤΟ THE BATAAN CENTRE OR TO PILLAR CENTRE, WHICH CAN ACCOMMODATE UP TO 5,000 PEOPLE.
EVENTUAL
TUEN MUN IS MANAGED BY THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT AND ITS CLOSURE WILL RESULT IN GOVERNMENT SAVINGS OF ABOUT $8.4 MILLION A YEAR
KAI TAK IS MANAGED BY HONG KONG CHRISTIAN AID IN OPERATING COSTS.
HIGH COMMISSIONER OF
ON
REFUGEES
REFUGEES.
"WHILE
BEHALF
THE UNITED
NATIONS
TO
FOR
ABOUT THE HAS IMPOSED CENTRES," MR
THIS IS GOOD NEWS, THE SAME CANNOT BE SAID
POPULATION WHOSE GROWING PROBLEM OF NON-REFUGEES,
BURDENS ON THE MANAGEMENT OF THE DETENTION ADDITIONAL
LEEKS SAID.
SINCE THE HE SAID THE ARRIVAL OF MORE THAN 13,000 VIETNAMESE
THE CAPACITIES OF THE YEAR OF THE BEGINNING
HAD ALSO STRETCHED
POTENTIAL DETENTION CENTRES, RISKING OVERCROWDING AND POSING GREATER SECURITY PROBLEMS.
"THERE ARE NOW SOME 56,000
IN NON-REFUGRES
IN
THE DETENTION CENTRES, WHICH ARE VERY CROWDED, DESPITE THE OPENING OF TAI A CHAU
FOR TEMPORARY FEBRUARY AND THE REOPENING OF SEK KWU CHAU LAST MONTH USE,' HE POINTED OUT.
"
/"PREVIOUS MEASURES