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Tai A Chau Detention Centre to close
All the Vietnamese migrants (VMs) on Tai A Chau (TAC) will be moved to Whitehead Detention Centre (WHDC) starting from September 16, the Government announced today (Monday).
As at today, there are about 5,500 VMs on TAC.
A government spokesman said three ferries, each with a capacity of about 350, would be hired for the transfer.
"Every day these ferries will take about 550 VMs and their belongings from TAC to HMS Tamar, where they will be transferred to WHDC by truck.
"The VMs have been fully briefed on the arrangements, and they have indicated willingness to co-operate.
"We hope the operation will go smoothly and peacefully and can be completed in about 10 days," he said.
As is the practice for such operations, the whole transfer exercise will be observed by independent monitors.
The spokesman added that works to strengthen security measures in WHDC and High Island Detention Centre (HIDC) were mostly completed.
There are now about 550 southerners in WHDC (excluding the VMs in the voluntary departure centres), and 4,100 northerners in HIDC, after a series of camp transfers in the past two months.
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