XN000022-1988-11-18 — Page 16

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FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 1988

STATUS OF ANOTHER 90 VIETNAMESE ASYLUM SEEKERS DETERMINED

FOR

THE GOVERNMENT HAS COMPLETED ITS SCREENING PROCEDURES DETERMINING THE STATUS OF ANOTHER 90 VIETNAMESE ASYLUM SEEKERS WHO

HAVE ARRIVED IN HONG KONG AFTER JUNE 15 THIS YEAR.

OF THE GROUP SCREENED, SEVEN PERSONS, COMPRISING TWO GROUPS AND THREE INDIVIDUALS, WERE FOUND то BE REFUGEES AND HAVE BEEN TRANSFERRED TO A REFUGEE CAMP PRIOR TO RESETTLEMENT OVERSEAS.

THE OTHER 83, COMPRISING 19 GROUPS AND 23 INDIVIDUALS, WERE FOUND NOT TO BE REFUGEES. THEY WILL BE HELD IN DETENTION CENTRES PENDING REPATRIATION TO VIETNAM.

BY

"DETERMINATION NOTICES HAVE BEEN SERVED ON THE ASYLUM SEEKERS IMMIGRATION DEPARTMENT STAFF," A GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN SAID.

"THOSE PEOPLE FOUND NOT TO BE REFUGEES HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THEIR RIGHT TO OBJECT TO THE RESULT UNDER THE IMMIGRATION ORDINANCE, AS WELL AS THEIR RIGHT TO LEGAL ADVICE IN PREPARING THEIR OBJECTIONS.

"THE UNHCR WILL MAKE ARRANGEMENTS TO ENSURE THAT LEGAL ADVICE IS MADE AVAILABLE TO ALL THOSE WHO NEED IT."

THE SPOKESMAN POINTED OUT THAT THE SCREENING PROCEDURES WERE BASED ON THE UNHCR PROCEDURES AND CRITERIA FOR DETERMINING REFUGEE STATUS ESTABLISHED UNDER THE 1951 CONVENTION AND THE 1967 PROTOCOL, AND TOOK INTO ACCOUNT THE SPECIAL SITUATION OF ASYLUM SEEKERS FROM VIETNAM.

"STAFF OF THE UNHCR WERE PRESENT DURING SOME OF THE INTERVIEWS AS OBSERVERS," HE SAID.

SO FAR, SCREENING PROCEDURES HAVE BEEN COMPLETED FOR 179 ASYLUM SEEKERS. OF THEM, 15 WERE FOUND TO BE REFUGEES WHILE 164 WERE FOUND NOT TO BE REFUGEES.

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