XN000022-1991-11-06 — Page 51

49

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMPER 6, 1991

**WE ARE WELL AWARE THAT WE CANNOT AFFORD TO RELAX OUR VIGILANCE, AND THAT THOSE INVOLVED IN SMUGGLING HAVE DEVELOPED NEW METHODS IN RESPONSE TO THE VERY SUCCESSFUL OPERATIONS OF THE ANTI- SMUGGLING TASK FORCE EARLIER THIS YEAR, A SUCCESS MADE POSSIBLE BY THE LEGISLATION PASSED BY THIS COUNCIL IN APRIL," HE ADDED.

HE SAID NEW PROPOSALS TO FIGHT AGAINST SMUGGLING WERE BEING DEVELOPED AND FURTHER LEGISLATIVE AMENDMENTS WOULD BE INTRODUCED LATER THIS SESSION.

AS REGARDS CROSS-BORDER CRIME, HE SAID THE POLICE AND OTHER LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES HAD DEVELOPED A GOOD SYSTEM OF CONTACTS WITH THE CHINESE AUTHORITIES THROUGH INTERPOL, DAY-TO-DAY LIAISON ᎪᎢ THE OPERATIONAL LEVEL, AND REGULAR CONTACTS AT A MORE SENIOR LEVEL.

"WE INTEND ΤΟ EXPAND ON THIS CO-OPERATION AND EXCHANGE OF INFORMATION, WHICH HAS ALREADY ACHIEVED RESULTS, NOT ONLY AGAINST SMUGGLING BUT ALSO AGAINST OTHER SERIOUS CRIME, HE SAID.

11

NOTING THAT THE ORGANISED CRIME BILL HAD RECEIVED GENERAL SUPPORT FROM THE DISTRICT BOARDS WHO HAD SO FAR CONSIDERED IT, HE SAID: "WE SHALL AIM TO REVISE THE PROPOSALS AS NECESSARY IN THE LIGHT OF VIEWS EXPRESSED AND COMMENTS RECEIVED, AND TO INTRODUCE THE BILL INTO THIS COUNCIL EARLY NEXT YEAR."

TURNING ΤΟ SOLUTIONS TO THE VIETNAMESE MIGRANTS PROBLEM, MR ASPREY SAID THE MOST RECENT AGREEMENT REACHED WITH THE VIETNAMESE GOVERNMENT PROVIDED THE MEANS TO RESOLVE THE HUMAN TRAGEDY.

"I

BELIEVE WE NOW HAVE IN PLACE AT LAST THE HITHERTO MISSING ELEMENT WHICH PERMITS FULL IMPLEMENTATION OF THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN OF ACTION ADOPTED IN 1989.

-

ONE

"ALL THE MAIN ELEMENTS OF THAT PLAN

ASYLUM, SCREENING, RESETTLEMENT, REPATRIATION ARE MUTUALLY SELF-SUPPORTING. IF ELEMENT IS MISSING, THE OTHER ELEMENTS ARE AT RISK," HE EXPLAINED.

+

HE NOTED THAT THE AGREEMENT PROVIDED FOR THE REPATRIATION OF ALL VIETNAMESE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS, WITH GUARANTEES AS TO THEIR SAFETY AND TREATMENT AFTER THEY RETURN HOME.

"THE PROGRAMME OF RETURNS WILL NEED TO BE PHASED OVER THE NEXT FEW YEARS. WE ARE THOUGH, I BELIEVE, BEGINNING TO SEE THE WAY AHEAD, HE SAID.

NOTING THAT THE NUMBERS RETURNING VOLUNTARILY DRAMATICALLY IN RECENT MONTHS, HE SAID: "THIS IS A SHALL DO EVERYTHING POSSIBLE TO ENCOURAGE.'

"

HAVE INCREASED TREND WHICH WE

AVERAGE OF 100

ALSO, THE NUMBERS ARRIVING HAD FALLEN FROM AN PER DAY IN SEPTEMBER TO AN AVERAGE OF ONLY TWO PER DAY IN THE PAST FEW WEEKS.

"THE NET EFFECT HAS BEEN A DROP OF OVER 1,000 IN THE OVERALL POPULATION IN OCTOBER, A REVERSAL OF THE UPWARD TREND WHICH SEEN SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR," HE SAID.

WE

HAVE

/IF THIS