XN000022-1989-10-18 — Page 3

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 1989

BILL ON RULES FOR VBI DETENTION CENTRES PASSED

THE IMMIGRATION (AMENDMENT | (NO. 3) BILL 1989. WHICH PROVIDES FOR OPERATION OF A SET OF RULES SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED TO COVER THE TREATMENT OF VIETNAMESE IN DETENTION CENTRES, WAS PASSED BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

PASSAGE

THROUGH THE COUNCIL IN ONE

THE BILL COMPLETED ITS

SITTING.

MOVING THE SECOND

READING

OF THE BILL, THE SECRETARY FOR SECURITY, THE HON GEOFFREY BARNES, SAID THE PROPOSED DETENTION CENTRE RULES WERE BASED ON THE EXISTING CLOSED CENTRE RULES WHICH HAD BEEN EFFECTIVE FOR THE CONTROL OF CONDUCT AND MAINTENANCE OF ORDER AND DISCIPLINE AMONGST VIETNAMESE REFUGEES IN CLOSED CENTRES.

LAST YEAR,

MR BARNES EXPLAINED THAT PRIOR TO JUNE 16 VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE ARRIVING IN HONG KONG WERE AUTOMATICALLY GRANTED REFUGEE STATUS.

"UNDER SECTION 130 OF THE IMMIGRATION ORDINANCE, PROVISION EXISTED FOR THE SECRETARY FOR SECURITY TO MAKE RULES FOR SUCH REFUGEES," HE SAID.

"SINCË JUNE 16, 1988, HOWEVER, ALL VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE ARRIVING IN HONG KONG HAVF REEN, AND ARE, TREATED AS ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS UNLESS, AFTER SCREENING, THEY ARE ACCORDED REFUGEE STATUS.

"NO PROVISION CURRENTLY EXISTS FOR THE SECRETARY FOR SECURITY TO MAKE RULES SPECIFICALLY FOR THESE VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE.

JJ

MR BARNES POINTED OUT OVER 12,000 VIETNAMESE HAD ARRIVED IN HONG KONG SINCE JUNE 16 LAST YEAR AND A LARGE YUNDER OF DETENTION CENTRES BAD HAD TO BE ESTABLISHED TO COPE WITH THE INFLUX.

THESE CENTRES WERE GAZFTTED UNDER THE FIRST SCHEDULE OF THE IMMIGRATION (PLACES OF DETENTION: ORDER WHICH ALLOWED SECTIONS OF THE PRISON RULES TO APPLY TO THE TREATMENT OF THE DETAINEES.

HOWEVER, THESE RULES DID NOT PROVIDE ADEQUATELY FOR THE CONTROL OF CONDUCT AND THE MAINTENANCE OF ORDER AND DISCIPLINE IN 'THE DETENTION CENTRES.

BEFORE THE SET OF RULES COVERING THE TREATMENT OF VIETNAMESE

MR IN DETENTION CENTRES COULD COME INTO EXISTENCE,

BARNES SAID THE NECESSARY PROVISION TO ALLOW THE SECRETARY FOR SECURITY TO MAKE THE RULES HAD TO BE INCLUDED IN THE IMMIGRATION ORDINANCE.

ORDINANCE

AND

"THE BILL ACHIEVES THIS BY ADDING A NEW SECTION, 13H, то THE EMPOWERING THE SECRETARY FOR SECURITY TO DESIGNATE PLACES AS DETENTION CENTRES FOR VIETNAMESE BOAT FEOPLE,

ΤΟ MAKE RULES

MANAGEMENT FOR THE TREATMENT AND CONTROL OF DETAINEES AND FOR THE SUCH CENTRES, HE SAID.

H

OF

/MR BARNES