XN000022-1988-09-30 — Page 7

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 1988

ON THE CONCERN

LIBERALISATION POLICY WAS

EXPRESSED BY SOMR MEMBERS THAT THE

INCONSISTENT WITH THE SCREENING POLICY, MR HANSON SAID THERE WERE FOUR MAJOR ELEMENTS IN THE GOVERNMENT'S OVERALL POLICY ON VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE.

"THE FIRST IS THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE SCREENING POLICY ON JUNK

15 WHICH IS AIMED AT SEPARATING REFUGEES FROM NON-REFUGEES.

"HAVING IDENTIFIED THE TWO GROUPS, DIFFERENT DURABLE SOLUTIONS ARE NEEDED FOR EACH GROUP, HE SAID.

It

THE SECOND ELEMENT, MR HANSON SAID, WAS THE

IMPLEMENTATION

OF

THE SCREENING POLICY THROUGH DISCUSSIONS WITH THE UNHCR.

"IN THIS CONNECTION, WE HAVE RECENTLY REACHED AN UNDERSTANDING WITH THE UNHCR UNDER WHICH OUR SCREENING PROCEDURES WILL BE CARRIED OUT IN ACCORDANCE WITH UNHCR GUIDELINES.

"

THE THIRD ELEMENT WAS THE LIBERALISATION PROGRAMME ITSELF.

"THE DURABLE SOLUTION FOR THOSE WHO HAVE REFUGEE STATUS IS RESETTLEMENT OVERSEAS," HE SAID.

YEAR.

"THE CURRENT RATE OF OVERSEAS RESETTLEMENT IS ABOUT 2,000 A

"SO THE PROBLEM WITH THIS GROUP IS GETTING SMALLER, THOUGH AT A RATE WHICH IS SLOWER THAN WE LIKE.

HELP

"ONE MAIN OBJECTIVE OF THE LIBERALISATION PROGRAMME IS TO SPEED UP THE RESETTLEMENT PROCESS BECAUSE CHILDREN WILL BE ABLE TO 00 TO SCHOOL, ADULTS WILL BE ABLE TO WORK AND GET TRAINING, AND FAMILY UNITS WILL BECOME MORE STABLE AND ECONOMICALLY INDEPENDENT.

HE SAID.

"THIS SHOULD INCREASE THEIR CHANCES OF RESETTLEMENT

OVERSEAS,

MR HANSON ADDED THAT THE PROGRAMME WOULD A1.90 RESULT IN SAVINGS FOR HONG KONG TAXPAYERS OF ABOUT $150 MILLION A YEAR SINCE THE UNHCR WOULD BE TAKING OVER THE RUNNING OF THE OPEN CENTRES.

THE FOURTH ELEMENT OF THE OVERALL PACKAGE, HE SAID, WAS THE CURRENT TALKS WITH THE VIETNAMESE GOVERNMENT WHICH 19 AIMED AT FINDING A DURABLE SOLUTION FOR THOSE SCREENED OUT AS ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS.

"THE DURADLE

SOLUTION FOR THIS GROUP IS REPATRIATION ΤΟ

VIETNAM.

"AND WE ARE NOW TALKING TO THE VIETNAMESE GOVERNMENT TO TRY TO ESTABLISH AN ACCEPTABLE PROCEDURE TO SEND THEM BACK, HE SAID.

/7