XN000022-1991-12-30 — Page 2

MONDAY, DECEMBER 30, 1991

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REFUGEE CO-ORDINATOR SETS- TARGETS FOR 1992

THE REFUGEE CO-ORDINATOR, MR CLINTON LEEKS, TODAY (MONDAY) SET THE TARGETS FOR NEXT YEAR WHICH, IF ACHIEVED, SHOULD REMOVE WITHIN THE NEXT TWO TO THREE YEARS THE HUGE BURDEN OF VIETNAMESE ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION THAT HONG KONG HAS BORNE FOR MORE THAN 16 YEARS.

REVIEWING 1991 AND LOOKING AHEAD TO THE NEW YEAR, HE SAID THE FIRST TARGET IS THAT THE ORDERLY RETURN PROGRAMME SHOULD CONTINUE, IN ORDER TO UNDERLINE THE MESSAGE THAT THE FUTURE FOR NON-REFUGEES LIES IN VIETNAM.

HE SAID THE VOLUNTARY RETURN PROGRAMME SHOULD CONTINUE ΤΟ EXPAND. THE NUMBER OF VIETNAMESE WAITING TO RETURN HOME, 3,000 AT PRESENT, SHOULD INCREASE STEADILY.

HE SAID THE SIGNS WERE THAT HONG KONG SHOULD BE ABLE TO AVOID THE HUGE INFLUXES OF PREVIOUS YEARS.

"IF HOWEVER PEOPLE DO PERSIST IN COMING, THEY WILL HAVE THEIR STATUS DETERMINED FAIRLY AND QUICKLY. THEY WILL THEN EITHER BE RESETTLED AS REFUGEES OR REPATRIATED AS ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS, HE SAID.

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LASTLY, THE PROCESS OF RESETTLEMENT SHOULD CONTINUE SO THAT GENUINE REFUGEES CAN FIND PERMANENT HOMES IN THE WEST AS SOON A8 POSSIBLE.

"THESE ARE OUR TARGETS FOR 1992. IF WE ARE SUCCESSFUL, WE SHALL SEE THE VIETNAMESE CAMP POPULATION GRADUALLY AND STEADILY REDUCE HERE, CAMPS CLOSE, AND THE BURDEN HONG KONG HAS BORNE FOR REMOVED, HE SAID.

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SO LONG

HE ADDED THAT 1991 HAD SEEN THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT FINALLY ABLE, LARGELY AS A RESULT OF CHANGING INTERNATIONAL CIRCUMSTANCES, ΤΟ IMPLEMENT IN FULL THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN OF ACTION TO WHICH HONG KONG BECAME A PARTY IN JUNE 1989.

"AS A RESULT, THE ARRANGEMENTS FOR DETERMINING WHO IS AND NOT A GENUINE REFUGEE FROM VIETNAM, AND FOR FINDING PROPER HOMES BOTH GROUPS OF PEOPLE, ARE NOW WORKING WELL.

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18 FOR

"THE EFFECT OF THIS IS CLEAR: ONLY 45 VIETNAMESE ARRIVALS OVER THE LAST TWO MONTHS, WHICH IS THE LOWEST TWO-MONTH FIGURE SINCE EARLY 1985.

THE TWO REPATRIATION SCHEMES ARE NOW ALSO WORKING WELL. SIX THOUSAND AND FOUR HUNDRED HAVE GONE HOME UNDER THE VOLUNTARY SCHEME IN THE LAST SIX MONTHS, COMPARED WITH 5,400 FOR THE WHOLE OF 1990.

"IN ADDITION, 87 HAD RETURNED PROGRAMME, AND FURTHER FLIGHTS UNDER PREPARATION," MR LEEKS SAID.

UNDER THIS

THE ORDERLY RETURN PROGRAMME ARE UNDER

TURNING TO