XN000022-1986-11-26 — Page 13

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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 1986

+ THE PRINCIPLES THAT GOVERN OUR SOCIETY ARE HUMANITARIAN. AND UNTIL SUCH TIMES AS WE CAN BE SATISFIED ABOUT THE TREATMENT OF ANY WHO ARE SENT BACK TO VIETNAM, WE MUST CONTINUE TO GRANT THEM ASYLUM HERE.+

HE POINTED OUT THAT THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT HAD BROADENED THE FAMILY REUNION CRITERIA WHICH RESULTED IN 423 REFUGEES LEAVING HONG KONG FOR THE UNITED KINGDOM SO FAR THIS YEAR.

OTHER COUNTRIES HAD ALSO RESPONDED NOBLY BY TAKING MORE REFUGEES FROM HONG KONG WHILE THE MAJOR RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES (THE UNITED STATES, AUSTRALIA AND CANADA) HAD EITHER MAINTAINED OR INCREASED THEIR REGULAR RELATIVELY HIGH MONTHLY OFF-TAKE FROM THE TERRITORY.

+WITHOUT THE BRITISH INITIATIVE, RESETTLEMENT FROM HONG KONG THIS YEAR WOULD HAVE BEEN VERY MUCH LOWER AND ABOVE ALL, ITS CONSEQUENCES HAVE BEEN SIGNIFICANT FOR HONG KONG.

+AT 8 165 ON NOVEMBER 21 OUR REFUGEE POPULATION WAS AT ITS LOWEST SINCE 1979, AND 1 280 LESS THAN IT WAS AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS YEAR,+ MR JE AFFRESON NOTED.

IT WAS TRUE THAT THERE HAD BEEN AN INCREASE IN ARRIVALS THIS YEAR. AT THE END OF OCTOBER, 1 900 REFUGEES HAD ARRIVED COMPARED WITH 950 DURING THE SAME PERIOD IN 1985.

HE SAID THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT WAS NATURALLY CONCERNED BY THE COINCIDENCE OF THIS DOUBLING IN THE NUMBER OF ARRIVALS FOLLOWING THE BRITISH INITIATIVE IN TAKING MORE REFUGEES PLUS THE NOBLE RESPONSE OF THE OTHER RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES.

+AS FAR AS WE CAN TELL FROM QUESTIONING THESE ARRIVALS, THEY WERE NOT SPECIFICALLY LURED INTO COMING TO HONG KONG BY THE

INCREASE IN RESETTLEMENT IN 1986, AND IN PRACTICE THIS INCREASE HAS NOT BEEN THAT DRAMATIC ANYWAY.

+RATHER, THEY CAME HERE FOR A VARIETY OF REASONS OF WHICH BY FAR THE MAIN ONE IS THE HOPE OF A BETTER ECONOMIC LIFE IN ANY OF THE MAIN RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES.

+THEY ARE IN EFFECT ECONOMIC MIGRANTS PREPARED TO CHANCE THEIR ARMS ON WHETHER OR NOT THEY WILL BE RESETTLED, HE SAID.

MR JE AFFRESON ADDED THAT THE GOVERNMENT HAD ALSO BEEN PRESSING FOR AN APPROACH TO THE VIETNAMESE WITH A VIEW TO OPENING UP DISCUSSIONS ON MEANS OF RETURNING THOSE FOUND NOT TO BE REFUGEES.

THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT RECOGNISED THAT RESETTLEMENT COULD NO LONGER BE THE SOLE SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM AND THE ISSUE NEEDED TO BE EXPLORED IN CONSULTATION WITH OTHER INTERESTED PARTIES INCLUDING THE UNHCR.

+MEANWHILE, WE HAVE PASSED ON THE CONCERNS EXPRESSED HERE BY HONOURABLE MEMBERS IN THIS DEBATE TO THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT, + MR JE AFFRESON ADDED.

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