XN000022-1981-05-07 — Page 3

THURSDAY, MAY 7, 1981

+HOWEVER, RECENTLY THERE HAS BEEN SOME INDICATION THAT REFUGEES ARE REFUSING OFFERS OF RESETTLEMENT IN ORDER THAT THEY MAY CHOOSE WHERE TO GO. SUCH A DEVELOPMENT IS DETRIMENTAL TO THE RESETTLEMENT PROGRAMME AND REDUCES THE OPPORTUNITY OF RESETTLEMENT OVERSEAS.+

UNDER THE BILL, THE DIRECTOR OF IMMIGRATION WILL BE EMPOWERED TO PROHIBIT VIETNAMESE REFUGEES WHO CONTRAVENE A CONDITION OF STAY, INCLUDING REFUSAL OF A RESETTLEMENT OFFER, FROM TAKING EMPLOYMENT DURING THE IR TEMPORARY STAY HERE.

THE PROHIBITION WOULD BE CLEARLY ENDORSED ON THE OFFENDING VIETNAMESE REFUGEE'S CARD. WHILE HE WOULD NO LONGER BE +LAWFULLY EMPLOYABLE+, THE SPOKESMAN SAID, HIS REFUGEE CARD WOULD STILL BE ACCEPTED AS A PROOF OF IDENTITY.

THE SPOKESMAN POINTED OUT THAT UNDER EXISTING LAW ANY EMPLOYER OFFERING EMPLOYMENT TO A VIETNAMESE REFUGEE WHO IS NOT LAWFULLY EMPLOYABLE+ WILL RISK A $50 000 FINE AND ONE YEAR'S IMPRISONMENT,

IN ADDITION, HE SAID, THE BILL WILL MAKE IT MANDATORY FOR EMPLOYERS TO INSPECT THE CARDS OF THEIR VIETNAMESE REFUGEE EMPLOYEES EVERY TIME WAGES ARE PAID THEM AS A CHECK ON THE IR EMPLOYMENT STATUS.

THE BILL ALSO PROVIDES FOR VIETNAMESE REFUGEES WHO FAIL OR REFUSE TO PRODUCE THE IR REFUGEE CARDS FOR INSPECTION OR WHO HAVE CEASED TO BE +LAWFULLY EMPLOYABLE TO BE SUMMARILY DISMISSED BY EMPLOYERS, EMPLOYERS WILL ALSO BE ADEQUATELY PROTECTED FROM LIABILITY (E.G. NOTICE OR WAGES IN LIEU OF NOTICE OR SEVERANCE PAY) ARISING FROM THE DISMISSAL OF VIETNAMESE REFUGEES UNDER SUCH CIRCUMSTANCES.

THE SPOKESMAN NOTED THAT SINCE JANUARY 1979, 77 212 VIETNAMESE REFUGEES HAVE ARRIVED IN HONG KONG. OF THESE, 70 175 HAVE BEEN RESETTLED OVERSEAS — 37 535 TO THE UNITED STATES, 13 189 TO CANADA AND 11 124 TO THE UNITED KINGDOM.

+BY JULY, AND ASSUMING THE MONTHLY INFLUX IS NOT MORE THAN 1 500, IT IS ESTIMATED THAT THERE WILL BE ABOUT 15 000 VIETNAMESE REFUGEES STILL IN HONG KONG, HE SAID.

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