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detention facilities for illegal entrants where they are further interrogated and where they remain (at the expense of the Hong Kong Government) until their status has been confirmed. Once this resettlement confirmation has been received from the PRC, these refugees are immediately returned to China. Such refugees suspected of previous resettlement in China are reportedly not allowed in any of the refugee camps in Hong Kong, not even in one of the "closed camps.
A corollary problem is the fact that some CHINESE NATIONALS are also illegally departing the PRC and posing as Vietnamese refugees in the hopes of resettlement to third countries. These Chinese nationals are not nor have they ever been refugees; yet at least four (4) such persons have arrived in the Philippines along with the boats containing Vietnamese refugees previously resettled in China: 2 among the refugees in Group 24, Laoag, and 2 among the refugees in Group 20, Aparri. In Hong Kong, once such Chinese nationals are identified as having illegally entered the territory, we have been informed that they are immediately and unceremoniously returned to China, reportedly returned that very day. Such quick return of Chinese nationals would of course serve as an important part of the overall deterrent to further departures from the PRC and their subsequest arrival in the Philippines..
Of the 86 new arrivals in the Philippines for whom previous resettlement in China has been confirmed, 13 have signed forms requesting their early return to the PRC. These forms have been transmitted to the PRC Embassy here in Manila and copied to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. UNHCR will continue to encourage all previously-resettled refugees to voluntarily sign such forms requesting their early return to China. For those refugees who do sign, UNHCR is willing to agree to their remaining in the PFAC at UNHCR expense pending the final PRC clearance for their return.
By signing the forms, such refugees save the Government the trouble of further interrogation and therefore greatly expedite the process leading toward their return to China. Therefore, as an
an INCENTIVE to other previously-resettled refugees to also sign the forms requesting their early return to the PRC, UNHCR has offered to care for them in the PFAC, despite their status as previously-resettled refugees illegally in the Philippines. However, this incentive is ONLY viable if COUPLED with the DISINCENTIVE OF DETENTION in facilities for illegal entrants for those who do not or will not sign these forms,
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Therefore, we would like to renew our request to the Government of the Philippines to REMOVE from UNHCR-financed refugee camps and centres the 73 refugees (that is, 86 minus the 13 who have already signed) who have so far refused to sign the forms requesting their expeditious return to China. In this we would also like to recall the similar requests of the Administrators of the PRTC in Manila and of the PFAC on Palawan for the early removal of such refugees illegally in the Philippines and, not incidentally, who are a
a constant source of
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