XN000022-1989-12-13 — Page 3

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 13, 1989

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STATEMENT BY CHIEF SECRETARY ON REPATRIATION

THE HON FOLLOWING IS A STATEMENT MADE BY THE CHIEF SECRETARY, SIR DAVID FORD, IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY) CONCERNING THE REPATRIATION OF VIETNAMESE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS:

"SIR,

IMMIGRANTS GREAT DRAL OF ATTENTION IN AND

VIEW

OF OF KONG

SOME BOTH IN HONG COMMENTS MADE, I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A BRIEF STATEMENT.

"THE RETURN YESTERDAY OF THE FIRST GROUP OF ILLEGAL FROM VIETNAM TO THEIR HOMELAND ATTRACTED A

INTERNATIONALLY,

THE

ALL

ABILITY

TIMES,

AND

AS

то

OUR

170,000 PEOPLE FROM VIETNAM HAVE SOUGHT "SINCE 1975, OVER ASYLUM IN HONG KONG. WE HAVE TURNED NONE AWAY. WE HAVE TAKEN THEM IN, FED AND CLOTHED THEM, HOUSED THEM TO THE BEST OF OUR

THERB MEDICAL ATTENTION,

HAVE BEEN PROVIDED THEM WITH EARLIER THIS YEAR, WHEN THE SHEER WEIGHT OF NUMBERS HAS THREATENED

WE FAR

HAVE MANAGED ΤΟ PRESERVE OVERWHELM OUR RESOURCES. SO COMMITMENT TO THE POLICY OF FIRST ASYLUM,

OUR

"AS LONG AS THOSE COMING WERK CLEARLY FLEEING PERSECUTION,

BEEN CLEAR FOR COMMUNITY HAS BORNE THE BURDEN PATIENTLY, BUT IT HAS

ETHNIC SOMETIME NOW THAT MOST OF THOSE WHO ARRIVE ARE NORTHERNERS AND

BEEN MADE OF THE VIETNAMESE SIMPLY SEEKING A BETTER LIFE, MUCH HAS

RISK

BUT HERE. IN COMING

THESE

BREN HAVE DANGERS THEY EXAGGERATED BY PEOPLE OUTSIDE HONG KONG. SOME ARE COMING FOR SEA CALL IN AT THE WAY THROUGH CHINA AND ALL WHO COME BY

NO WHILE

ONE CAN INTERVALS ALONG THE COAST FOR RE-SUPPLY.

THE IN

WEST, THIS ALONE THEM TRYING TO FIND A NEW LIFE NECESSARILY QUALIFY THEM AS REFUGEES IN THE EYES OF THE COMMUNITY. AS A RESULT MOST HAVE NO PROSPECT OF BRING RESETTLED.

GREATLY MUCH OF FREQUENT

BEGRUDGE

DOES NOT

INTERNATIONAL

URGE "THIS SIMPLE, THOUGH TO SOME UNPALATABLE, FACT, LED US TO

REVIEW THE PROBLEM. HONG KONG HAS THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY TO

WE WERE REVIEW. INDEED,

THE

TO FIRST PLAYED A FULL PART IN THAT

OUR PURPOSE WAS TO INTRODUCE SCREENING OVER A YEAR AND A HALF AGO, IDENTIFY THOSE

OF THE PROTECTION

INTERNATIONAL DID THIS IN ACCORDANCE COMMUNITY AND GIVE THEM REFUGEE STATUS. WE WITH INTERNATIONALLY ACCEPTED AND MONITORED PROCEDURES.

WHO

NEEDED

THE

FOLLOWED OUR

EXAMPLE.

IN JUNE

THIS YEAR,

OF THE COMMUNITY. SCREENING,

"OTHERS HAVE SCREENING AS IMPLEMENTED IN HONG KONG BECAME AN INTEGRAL PART COMPREHENSIVE PLAN OF ACTION ENDORSED BY THE INTERNATIONAL THE PLAN INCLUDES

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IMPORTANT

ELEMENTS: FIRST ASYLUM,

WE ARE A IT

RESETTLEMENT OF REFUGEES AND REPATRIATION OF NON-REFUGEES, PARTY TO THIS COMPREHENSIVE PLAN OF ACTION AND WE ARE IMPLEMENTING TO THE FULL.

/"ALL OF