XN000022-1987-12-29 — Page 11

10

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 29, 1987

CHANGES TO CLOSED CENTRE POLICY NOT CONSIDERED

NIGEL WAS

THE PRINCIPAL ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR

MR SECURITY, FRENCH, TODAY (TUESDAY) CATEGORICALLY DENIED THAT THE GOVERNMENT CONSIDERING CHANGING ITS CLOSED CENTRE POLICY SO AS TO ALLOW REFUGEES WHO HAD BEEN STAYING IN THE CLOSED CENTRES FOR MORE THAN FIVE YEARS TO BE TRANSFERRED TO THE OPEN CENTRES.

MR FRENCH WAS RESPONDING TO REPORTS IN THE MEDIA YESTERDAY

AND

TODAY.

EFFECT IS CONTAINED IN A RECOMMENDATION TO THIS

THE OXFAM ON REPORT "VIETNAMESE REFUGEES IN HONG KONG: THE WAY AHEAD" PUBLISHED DECEMBER 22.

"THIS REPORT HAS BEEN SUBMITTED TO THE GOVERNMENT AND IS BEING CONSIDERED AS A WHOLE, BUT THE SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATION ON RELAXATION OF THE CLOSED CENTRE POLICY IS UNACCEPTABLE, MR FRENCH SAID.

"

HUMANE IN VIEW OF

1982 AS A THE CLOSED CENTRES WERE INTRODUCED IN JULY APPROACH TO DETER MORE REFUGEES FROM COMING TO HONG KONG CONTINUING ARRIVALS AND DIMINISHING RESETTLEMENT PROSPECTS.

NOT "THE SITUATION HAS REGRETTABLY

CHANGED MATERIALLY SINCE THEN AND THE MAINTENANCE OF THE

CAMP POLICY IS CONSIDERED NECESSARY AS A DETERRENT TO MORE ARRIVALS," MR FRENCH ADDED.

CLOSED

HONG KONG,

AT PRESENT, THERE ARE 9,529 VIETNAMESE REFUGEES IN 6,565 OF WHOM ARE IN THE CLOSED CENTRES. THIS POPULATION FIGURE IS 18 PER CENT HIGHER THAN THAT OF 8,039 AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR.

"BECAUSE OF THIS INCREASE IN THE REFUGEE POPULATION, IT HAS BEEN NECESSARY FOR THE GOVERNMENT

ΤΟ START SEARCHING FOR POSSIBLE SITES FOR A FOURTH CLOSED CENTRE IN ORDER TO RELIEVE THE OVERCROWDING IN THE CLOSED CENTRES," MR FRENCH SAID.

AT KAI

FOR A SITE IS REQUIRED TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH THE

"AT THE SAME TIME, THE GOVERNMENT IS ALSO LOOKING TO RELOCATE THE OPEN CENTRE

WHICH TAK SURRENDERED IN BARLY 1989 TO MAKE WAY FOR WORKS TATE'S CAIRN TUNNEL PROJECT."

"THIS NEW CAMP SITE IS OPEN CENTRE REFUGEES FROM KAI TAK,

INTtended onLY FOR THE RELOCATION OF

HE ADDED.

THE

/11