th statement makes clear, from that date all arrivals
are being screened, on the basis of UNHCR criteria, to
distinguish genuine political refugees from those whose
motivation for leaving Vietnam is simply the desire for a
better life, and whose chances of resettlement in the
West are non-existent. Genuine refugees will be
accommodated in camps to await resettlement; economic
migrants will be detained as illegal immigrants, pending
repatriation to Vietnam in due course when this can be
arranged.
Thirdly, your constituent asks about recent transfers of
refugees from camps such as Chimawan and Heilingchau to
new accommodation. These move s are part of the
arrangements which are being made under the new policy
and in response to the massive increase arrivals in
recent months. The nature of the crisis made it
necessary for the authorities in Hong Kong to act quickly
and some transfers inevitably took place at short notice.
But your constituent will be pleased to know that one of
the intentions behind these moves is to liberalise over
the next 6-12 months the conditions in the centres
accommodating all those who have refugee status.
1
Fourthly, resettlement.
Your constituent is incorrect in
stating that Britain has taken only four refugees from
Hong Kong since 1986. In that year we settled 474
refugees; in May 1987 the Home Secretary announced that a
further 468 named Vietnamese refugees from Hong Kong
would be resettled here over the next two years: in 1987
ن
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