WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 4, 1993
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INFLUX OF ECVII'S A SETBACK TO SOLVE VM PROBLEM
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THE ONLY WAY TO STEM THE RECENT INFLUX OF EX-CHINA VIETNAMESE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS (ECVII'S) WAS TO RETURN THEM TO CHINA IMMEDIATELY AS EVERY DAY OF DELAY WOULD ACT AS A MAGNET FOR MORE TO FOLLOW, THE SECRETARY FOR SECURITY, MR ALISTAIR ASPREY, SAID TODAY (WEDNESDAY).
SPEAKING TO THE PRESS AFTER TOURING FACILITIES FOR ECVII'S AT CHI MA WAN DETENTION CENTRE ON LANTAU ISLAND, MR ASPREY SAID ABOUT 2,200 ECVII'S HAD ARRIVED IN HONG KONG SINCE JUNE 25 AND IT WAS THE LARGEST INFLUX SINCE 1987.
"THIS IS AN UNWELCOME SETBACK ΤΟ EFFORTS TO RESOLVE THE VIETNAMESE MIGRANT (VM) PROBLEM.
"DIRECT ARRIVALS FROM VIETNAM HAVE VIRTUALLY DRIED UP IN THE PAST TWO YEARS AND THE OVERALL VM POPULATION IN THAT TIME HAS BEEN REDUCED FROM OVER 64,000 TO SOME 39,000 TODAY," HE SAID.
MR ASPREY SAID HONG KONG'S RESOURCES WERE ONCE STRETCHED ESPECIALLY THE MANPOWER OF CORRECTIONAL SERVICES AND IMMIGRATION DEPARTMENT.
MORE BEING DEPARTMENT
"IF THE PROBLEM IS RESOLVED SPEEDILY, THERE WILL SIGNIFICANT SLIPPAGE IN OUR CAMP CLOSURE PROGRAMME BUT IF THE CONTINUES AND THE ECVII'S HERE ARE NOT RETURNED SOON, IT WILL MAJOR SETBACK TO OUR PLANS," HE SAID.
BE NO INFLUX POSE A
MR ASPREY SAID THE GOVERNMENT HAD REPEATEDLY STRESSED ΤΟ THE CHINESE AUTHORITIES THE URGENT NEED FOR EARLY REPATRIATION, BUT HAD HAD NO SPECIFIC RESPONSE SO FAR TO THIS REQUEST.
"THE MATTER IS BEING TAKEN UP DAILY WITH THE NEW CHINA NEWS AGENCY IN HONG KONG, MINISTERS IN LONDON AND THE BRITISH AMBASSADOR TO PEKING WILL SHORTLY AGAIN ASK THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT TO ACCEPT THE RETURN OF THE ECVII'S, HE SAID.
ALSO VISITING
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CHI MA WAN TODAY WAS THE COMMISSIONER OF CORRECTIONAL SERVICES, MR ERIC MCCOSH.
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