TUESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 1991
"IN
CARRYING OUT THE ORDERLY RETURN PROGRAMME WE WILL EXPLAIN TO THOSE IN THE DETENTION CENTRES WHAT THE AGREEMENT INVOLVES AND ENCOURAGE THEM ΤΟ TAKE FULL ADVANTAGE OF THE EXISTING VOLUNTARY REPATRIATION SCHEME, "MR ASPREY SAID.
MR ASPREY EMPHASISED THAT THE GOVERNMENT WOULD NOT RETURN ΤΟ VIETNAM ANY ASYLUM SEEKER WHO WAS DETERMINED UNDER HONG KONG LAW, OR BY THE UNHCR, TO BE A GENUINE REFUGEE.
ATTENTION NEWS EDITORS:
PLEASE NOTE THAT IT SHOULD BE 'ORDERLY RETURN PROGRAMME" ORDERLY DEPARTURE PROGRAMME" AS STATED IN PARAGRAPH 5 OF RELEASE COLLECTED AT THE PRESS CONFERENCE THIS AFTERNOON.
THE
NOT PRESS
TRANSCRIPT OF PRESS CONFERENCE ON THE AGREEMENT SIGNED
WITH THE VIETNAMESE GOVERNMENT ON THE RETURN
OF VIETNAMESE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS
* * *
ASPREY:
MR
GOOD AFTERNOON. LAST WEEK WE ANNOUNCED THAT WE HAD REACHED AGREEMENT WITH THE VIETNAMESE GOVERNMENT ON THE RETURN OF THE DOUBLE-BACKERS. TODAY, THE BRITISH AMBASSADOR IN HANOI HAS SIGNED A STATEMENT OF UNDERSTANDING WITH THE VIETNAMESE GOVERNMENT ON BEHALF OF BOTH THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT AND THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT ON THE RETURN OF ALL VIETNAMESE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS IN HONG KONG. I EMPHASIZE THAT THIS IS A COMPREHENSIVE AGREEMENT COVERING THE RETURN OF ALL REFUGEES. IT SUBSUMES THE AGREEMENT WE ANNOUNCED LAST WEEK RETURN OF THE DOUBLE-BACKERS. IT ALSO COVERS ALL NEW ARRIVALS, IS ALL PEOPLE WHO ARRIVE ANY TIME AFTER THE ANNOUNCEMENT TODAY. WILL BE SCREENED AND GO THROUGH THE APPEAL PROCESS IN THE NORMAL AS SOON AS POSSIBLE AFTER ARRIVAL; THEY WILL BE KEPT SEPARATELY OTHER VIETNAMESE, AND THEN THEY WILL BE RETURNED ΤΟ VIETHAM. EXPECT THAT IT WILL TAKE APPROXIMATELY FIVE TO SIX WEEKS FOR ANY ARRIVAL то GO THROUGH THE SCREENING PROCESS, AND THEN IF НЕ IS SCREENED-OUT, ΤΟ BE RETURNED ΤΟ VIETNAM. IT WILL ALSO APPLY SUBSEQUENTLY то ALL THOSE AMONGST THE EXISTING POPULATION WHO ARE SCREENED-OUT,
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THE EXACT DETAILS OF TIMING AND NUMBERS FOR THE RETURN OF THE EXISTING POPULATION WILL BE SUBJECT TO FURTHER DISCUSSION WITH THE VIETNAMESE, BUT THERE IS CLEAR AGREEMENT IN PRINCIPLE THAT THE AGREEMENT APPLIES то ALL THE VIETNAMESE IN HONG KONG, BOTH NEW ARRIVALS AND THE EXISTING POPULATION.
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