TNAG-1754-FCO40-2474-Future-of-Hong-Kong-Parliamentary-debates-1988 — Page 142

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of the Vietnamese boat people. The House was

informed of the decision of the Hong Kong

Government, taken with our full support, that

from 16 June all arrivals would be screened,

on the basis of UNHCR criteria. The intention

is to distinguish genuine refugees from those

whose motives for leaving Vietnam are purely

economic.

Hong Kong will continue to preserve access to

resettlement for genuine refugees. But the

great majority of arrivals who are determined

to be economic migrants will be detained

pending their eventual repatriation to

Vietnam, as soon as satisfactory arrangements

for their return have been negotiated.

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