XN000022-1988-12-02 — Page 12

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FRIDAY, DECEMBER 2, 1988

STATUS OF 152 ASYLUM SEEKERS DETERMINED

THE GOVERNMENT HAS COMPLETED ITS SCREENING PROCEDURES DETERMINING THE STATUS OF ANOTHER 152 VIETNAMESE ASYLUM SEEKERS HAVE ARRIVED IN HONG KONG SINCE JUNE 15 THIS YEAR.

FOR

WHO

OF THE GROUP SCREENED, 15 PERSONS, COMPRISING FOUR GROUPS AND FIVE INDIVIDUALS, WERE FOUND TO BE REFUGEES AND HAVE BEEN TRANSFERRED TO A REFUGEE CENTRE PRIOR TO RESETTLEMENT OVERSEAS.

THE OTHER 137, COMPRISING 29 GROUPS AND 30 INDIVIDUALS, WERE FOUND NOT TO BE REFUGEES. THEY WILL BE HELD IN VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE CENTRES PENDING REPATRIATION TO VIETNAM.

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'DETERMINATION NOTICES HAVE BEEN SERVED ON THE ASYLUM SEEKERS BY IMMIGRATION DEPARTMENT STAFF," A GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN SAID TODAY (FRIDAY).

"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 WERK 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 331 ASYLUM SEEKERS. OF THEM, 30 WERE FOUND TO BE REFUGEES WHILE 301 WERE FOUND NOT TO BE REFUGEES.

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