XN000022-1992-04-24 — Page 7

FRIDAY, APRIL 24, 1992

6

ARGYLE STREET DETENTION CENTRE TO BE CLOSED NEXT MONTH

THE

ARGYLE ACCOMMODATE UP ΤΟ VIETNAMESE MONTH.

WOMEN

STREET DETENTION CENTRE, UNTIL

1,000 VIETNAMESE DETAINEES INCLUDING

CLOSED TRANSFERRED FROM OTHER CAMPS, WILL BE

RECENTLY

USED PREGNANT NEXT

TO

IN

THIS FOLLOWS THE GRADUAL REDUCTION IN THE OVERALL VIETNAMESE MIGRANT POPULATION IN HONG KONG AND THE OPENING OF A NEW SECTION THE

TAK VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE DEPARTURE CENTRE FOR VIETNAMESE WOMEN AWAITING TRANSFER TO URBAN HOSPITALS.

ΚΑΙ

THE

ANNOUNCING

CLOSURE TODAY (FRIDAY), THE REFUGEE CO- ORDINATOR, MR CLINTON LEEKS, SAID THIS WAS THE FIRST CENTRE TO CLOSE SINCE THE SIGNATURE OF THE ORDERLY REPATRIATION AGREEMENT WITH VIETNAM LAST OCTOBER.

"THIS

THE REFLECTS

DROP IN THE SIZE OF POPULATION BY ABOUT 8,000 SINCE THEN," HE SAID,

THE

NON-REFUGEE

"WITH THIS REDUCTION, AND WITH THE OPENING OF A NEW SECTION FOR PREGNANT WOMEN AT THE KAI TAK CENTRE, THE ARGYLE CENTRE CAN BE CLOSED, THUS RELEASING ABOUT 60 POLICEMEN FOR NORMAL LAW AND ORDER DUTIES," ADDED.

CURRENTLY, PREGNANT VIETNAMESE WOMEN ARE TRANSFERRED ARGYLE

AT ABOUT 28 WEEKS OF PREGNANCY TO REDUCE THE CENTRE EMERGENCY TRANSFER BY SEA OR AIR AND TO RELIEVE SOME OF THE ON THE MATERNITY FACILITIES IN THE PRINCE OF WALES HOSPITAL TIN.

HE

ΤΟ

THE

RISK PRESSURE IN SHA

OF

THE

USED

TO

TAK ΚΑΙ

DEPARTURE CENTRE HAS UNTIL NOW BEEN ACCOMMODATE VIETNAMESE REFUGEES IMMEDIATELY BEFORE THEIR DEPARTURE FOR OVERSEAS RESETTLEMENT,

THE

THIS DEPARTURE FACILITY FOR REFUGEES WILL NOW BE MOVED TO ADJACENT FORMER NEW HORIZONS SCHOOL BUILDING, RENAMED THE NEW HORIZONS VIETNAMESE REFUGEE DEPARTURE CENTRE.

41

"THERE HAS BEEN A VIETNAMESE CENTRE OF SOME KIND AT ARGYLE OVER A DECADE, MR LEEKS SAID.

FOR

"THE

FACILITIES THERE ARE NOW VERY OLD AND GIVEN ITS CAPACITY OF ONLY ABOUT 1,000, TO KEEP THE CENTRE OPEN WILL NOT HELP TO THIN OUT THE

NOT POPULATION AT OTHER DETENTION CENTRES AND IS CERTAINLY MOST COST-EFFECTIVE WAY OF USING OUR RESOURCES."

THE

NOW

TAKE

THE CIVIL AID SERVICES, WHO HAVE BEEN RUNNING THE ARGYLE CENTRE 1988 SINCE

AND THE KAI TAK DEPARTURE CENTRE SINCE

WILL 1990, REDEPLOY THEIR MANPOWER TO CONTINUE RUNNING KAI TAK AND ALSO TO ON THE MANAGEMENT OF THE ADJACENT NEW HORIZONS DEPARTURE CENTRE.

THE EXISTING KAI TAK DEPARTURE CENTRE WILL BE RENAMED THE TAK VIETNAMESE MIGRANT TRANSIT CENTRE.

/APART FROM

KAI