TNAG-2007-FCO40-2855-Address-by-Sir-David-Wilson--Governor-of-Hong-Kong--at-the-o-1990 — Page 18

24.

F.

14 -

VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE

Members of this

Council

need no reminding of the

fact that the problem of the Vietnamese boat people is still

with us.

But the picture is not as bleak as it was this

time last year. Last October, I had to report the arrival

of 34,000 Vietnamese, the highest number in any year since

Since then, our efforts to deal with the problem, and

community, have produced some

1979.

those of the

results.

international

25.

last

Arrivals SO far this year have dropped sharply, to

less than one in six of the number during the same period

The careful operation of our screening

procedures; the voluntary repatriation scheme; the publicity

effort in Vietnam; and the mandatory repatriation flight

year.

last December have all given potential boat people an

unambiguous message

the days of automatic resettlement

through Hong Kong are over.

26.

Taking the camp population as a whole

refugees

first

year

and people who do not have refugee status - there has been a

net outflow of

over 2,700 since last October. This is the

since 1986 when the numbers in Hong Kong have

/actually