XN000022-1992-11-25 — Page 14

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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 1992

IN A WRITTEN REPLY TO A QUESTION BY THE HON JIMMY MCGREGOR IN LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, MR STRACHAN SAID NO RESETTLEMENT COUNTRY WOULD BE PREPARED TO ACCEPT ECVIIS.

THE

HE EXPLAINED THAT A SCREENED-OUT VIETNAMESE MIGRANT WILL ALSO HAVE TO RETURN TO VIETNAM IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN OF ACTION AGREED AT THE GENEVA CONFERENCE IN JUNE 1989.

"IT WOULD NOT BE IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST TO RELAX OUR RULES IN THIS INSTANCE.

"TO DO SO WOULD CREATE A POTENTIAL LOOPHOLE IN OUR IMMIGRATION CONTROLS AND POSSIBLY ENCOURAGE VIETNAMESE SETTLED IN CHINA TO ENTER HONG KONG ILLEGALLY WITH A VIEW TO MARRYING VIETNAMESE MIGRANTS, HE SAID.

"BEARING IN MIND THAT OVER 200,000 VIETNAMESE HAVE BERN RESETTLED IN CHINA SINCE 1978/79, THIS DANGER OF ABUSE OF OUR IMMIGRATION CONTROLS IS VERY REAL, HE ADDED.

M

MR STRACHAN EXPLAINED THAT A MARRIAGE BETWEEN AN ECVII AND A SCREENED-OUT VIETNAMESE MIGRANT DID NOT CHANGE THEIR ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT STATUS.

PRIOR TO A

MARRIAGE TAKING PLACE BETWEEN AN ECVII AND A VIETNAMESE MIGRANT, THE ADMINISTRATION EXPLAINS CLEARLY THE POSITION TO THEM AND THEY ARE THEREFORE MADE WELL AWARE OF THEIR LIKELY FUTURE SEPARATION, HE ADDED.

THE NORMALISATION OF RELATIONS IN 1991 BETWEEN CHINA AND VIETNAM HAS FACILITATED MOVEMENTS OF PEOPLE BETWEEN THESE TWO COUNTRIES.

THE REPATRIATED ECVIIS, OR THEIR VIETNAMESE SPOUSES UPON THEIR RETURN TO VIETNAM, MAY APPLY THROUGH NORMAL CHANNELS IN CHINA, OR IN VIETNAM, TO REUNITE WITH THEIR FAMILY MEMBERS.

BUT MR STRACHAN SAID THIS WAS ULTIMATELY A MATTER FOR CHINA AND

VIETNAM.

"THE UNHCR HAVE ALREADY INDICATED THEIR WILLINGNESS TO HELP SUCH CASES," HE SAID.

IN

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