XN000022-1987-04-01 — Page 19

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WEDNESDAY, APRIL 1, 1987

+AND WHEN THEY ARE DETECTED

THE GOVERNMENT'S POLICY IS TO REPATRIATE ALL ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS, HE SAID.

ON VIETNAMESE REFUGEES, MR JEAFFRESON SAID THAT LAST YEAR, AS A RESULT OF THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT'S DECISION TO RELAX ITS FAMILY REUNION CRITERIA IN RESPECT OF VIETNAMESE REFUGEES IN HONG KONG WITH RELATIVES IN THE UNITED KINGDOM, THERE WERE NOW 7 922 REFUGEES IN CAMPS IN HONG KONG, THE LOWEST NUMBER SINCE 1979.

+BUT THE PROSPECTS FOR RESETTLEMENT FOR THE REST OF THIS YEAR ARE NOT ENCOURAGING.

+ IN ACCORDANCE WITH MEMBERS' REQUEST DURING THE ADJOURNMENT DEBATE OF JANUARY 7, I SHALL BE REPORTING ON PROGRESS ON ASPECTS OF THE VIETNAMESE REFUGEE PROBLEM WITHIN SIX MONTHS FROM THAT DATE,+ HE SAID.

TURNING TO THE PROBLEM OF PSYCHOTROPIC DRUG ABUSE AMONG YOUNG PEOPLE. MR JEAFFRESON SAID THAT THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF YOUNG PEOPLE REPORTED TO THE CENTRAL REGISTRY OF DRUG ABUSE AS BEING INVOLVED IN PSYCHOTROPIC DRUGS IN 1986.

A LARGE-SCALE SCHOOL SURVEY ON PSYCHOTROPIC DRUG ABUSE TO BE CONDUCTED BY THE GOVERNMENT AT THE END OF THIS YEAR AND THE CONTINUOUS REPORTS FROM OUT-REACH SOCIAL WORKERS AND OTHER SOURCES WOULD PROVIDE A CLEARER PICTURE OF THE EXTENT OF PSYCHOTROPIC DRUG ABUSE AMONG YOUNG PEOPLE, HE SAID.

MR JEAFFRESON POINTED OUT THAT THE GOVERNMENT'S TOP CONCERN WAS TO SAVE YOUNG PEOPLE FROM FALLING PREY TO DRUG ADDICTION, AND IN 1987-88 FINANCIAL YEAR THE GOVERNMENT HAD AGAIN ACCORDED THE ANTI-NARCOTICS CAMPAIGN TOP PRIORITY.

ON THE ROLE OF INTERNATIONAL LIAISON IN ANTI-NARCOTICS STRATEGY, MR JEAFFRESON SAID THAT CLOSE AND EFFECTIVE LIAISON AND CO-OPERATION WAS IN FACT MAINTAINED WITH THE LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES IN THE SOUTHEAST ASIAN REGION AND BEYOND AND WITH THE IR DRUG LIAISON OFFICERS HERE IN HONG KONG.

+THE MEASURES WE ARE TAKING TO COMBAT TRIADS SHOULD HELP TO REDUCE THE SCALE OF ILLICIT DRUG TRAFFICKING, HE SAID.

TO A SUGGESTION THAT THE POSSIBILITY OF COMPULSORY TREATMENT FOR ADDICTS SHOULD BE LOOKED INTO, MR JEAFFRESON SAID THAT THIS NEEDED TO BE APPROACHED WITH SOME CARE.

/+IN THE