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077777
MDHIAN 1900
PROPOSED SCREENING PROCEDURES IN PARAS. 3 TO 6.
THIS SHOULD TAKE
PLACE AFTER MINISTERIAL APPROVAL IS GIVEN ON OR AROUND 7 JUNE 1988. THE PROCEDURES WILL, IF NECESSARY, BE AMENDED SLIGHTLY TO INCORPORATE ANY RELEVANT COMMENTS FROM UNHCR. THEREAFTER, UNHCR'S INVOLVEMENT WILL BE CONFINED TO ACTING AS AN AGENT FOR MAKING REPRESENTATIONS TO GOVERNOR-IN-COUNCIL ON BEHALF OF ANY APPELANT AGAINST ILLEGAL
THEY WILL HOWEVER ALSO BE INVITED TO OBSERVE
IMMIGRANT STATUS.
THE SCREENING PROCEDURE IN ACTION.
PUBLIC REACTION
10. LOCALLY, THE TOUGHER LINE BEING FOLLOWED BY THE GOVERNMENT WILL BE WELCOMED BY THE LEGCO AD HOC GROUP AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC ALIKE, ALTHOUGH IT MAY BE QUERIED AS NOT GOING FAR ENOUGH. LOCAL HUMAN- ITARIAN GROUPS AND VOLUNTARY WORKERS CAN BE EXPECTED TO VOICE MISGIVINGS ABOUT THE POLICY'S OPERATION FROM TIME TO TIME, AND THOSE CRITICISMS WILL BE PICKED UP BY THE OVERSEAS MEDIA. IN THE LONGER
TERM, CONCERN IS LIKELY TO SURFACE ABOUT THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE NEW POLICY, PROSPECTS FOR REPATRIATION, THE COST OF MAINTAINING THE DETENTION CENTRES AND SECURITY IN THE CAMPS.
11. OVERSEAS REACTION IS LIKELY TO BE MIXED. THERE WILL BE SOME UNDERSTANDING OF HONG KONG'S POSITION, AS MANY COUNTRIES AROUND THE WORLD HAVE EXPERIENCE OF THE DIFFICULTIES BROUGHT ABOUT BY WAVES OF REFUGEES AND NON-AUTHORISED IMMIGRANTS. HOWEVER, SOME CRITICISM CAN ALSO BE EXPECTED BECAUSE OF THE PROPOSED INDEFINITE DETENTION OF THOSE SCREENED OUT AND ABOUT THE CONDITIONS IN WHICH THEY WILL
BE HELD. THERE WILL ALSO BE CONCERN ABOUT THE SCREENING PROCESS AND APPEALS MACHINERY.
PUBLICITY
12. DIFFERENT PUBLICITY LINES WILL BE NEEDED FOR USE WITH PEOPLE IN VIETNAM, THE LOCAL HONG KONG PUBLIC, AND THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY. A PROPOSED PUBLICITY PLAN IS AT ANNEX C.
13. ALL VOLUNTARY AGENCIES WORKING WITH REFUGEES WILL BE
INFORMED
OF THE NEW PROCEDURES ON THE AFTERNOON OF 15 JUNE, AT THE SAME TIME THAT DISTRICT OFFICERS ARE BRIEFED, IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE ANNOUNCEMENT IN LEGCO.
DIPLOMATIC CAMPAIGN
14.
A DIPLOMATIC CAMPAIGN WILL BE UNDERTAKEN BY HMG ON HONG KONG'S
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