TNAG-1860-FCO40-2635-Legislative-Council-of-Hong-Kong-memoranda-and-minutes-of-me-1989 — Page 5

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THIS OFFERED THE BEST PROSPECT OF A LASTING SOLUTION. BARNES SAID THAT THE VOLUNTARY REPATRIATION PROGRAMME HAD GONE WELL: BUT IT WAS NOT IN ITSELF A SOLUTION. THE SCALE WAS TOO SMALL AND IT HAD NO DETERRENT VALUE. HE EMPHASISED THE URGENCY OF INTRODUCING A MANDATORY REPATRIATION PROGRAMME IF WE WERE TO MAKE A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON THE RATE OF ARRIVALS IN 1990. WITHOUT THE FULL IMPLEMENTATION OF THE CPA THE COUNTRIES FIRST ASYLUM WOULD BE LEFT WITHOUT A MECHANISM FOR BRINGING THE PROBLEM UNDER CONTROL. IN COMMENTING ON THE CALLS TO END FIRST ASYLUM BARNES SAID THAT THE CPA, IF FULLY IMPLEMENTED, OFFERED A PRACTICAL AND HUMANE SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM. FULL TEXT OF HIS REPLY FOLLOWS FOR HKD BY FAX.

COMMENT

5. THE MOTION PROPOSED BY ALLEN LEE (SENIOR MEMBER) WAS DELIBERATELY RESTRAINED AND CONSTRUCTIVE. BUT IT WAS CLEAR THAT STORIES OF PLANS FOR IMMINENT REPATRIATION AND THE CLEAR DECISION

IN FAVOUR OF IT BY HMG HAVE BOUGHT TIME. FOR THE MOMENT MOST

MEMBERS ARE PREPARED TO GIVE THE GOVERNMENT THE BENEFIT OF THE

DOUBT ON THE EFFICACY OF THE MANDATORY REPATRIATION PROGRAMME. BUT IF FOR ANY REASON IT FAILS TO GET OFF THE GROUND, STUMBLES OR FAILS TO DETER AN INFLUX NEXT YEAR THERE WILL BE PLENTY OF VOICES CALLING FOR MORE DRASTIC ACTION. BUT EVEN THE MOTION WAS PASSED BY A SUBSTANTIAL MAJORITY IT WAS CLEAR FROM THE GENERAL TONE OF SPEECHES THAT A SUBSTANTIAL NUMBER OF MEMBERS ALMOST CERTAINLY A MAJORITY, WOULD HAPPILY HAVE VOTED FOR SOMETHING A GREAT DEAL TOUGHER.

WILSON

YYYY

ΜΑΙΝ

111

DISTRIBUTION

121

.VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE IN HK

LIMITED

HKD

SEAD

UND

LEGAL ADVISERS

PUSD

ECD (E)

RMD

PS

PS/MR MAUDE

PS/MR SAINSBURY

PS/LORD BRABAZON

PS/MRS CHALKER

PS/PUS

MR GILLMORE

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