VIETNAMESE MIGRANTS: PRESS ANNOUNCEMENT
The British, Hong Kong and Vietnamese Governments signed a statement of understanding on 29 October 1991 on a programme for the orderly repatriation of Vietnamese illegal immigrants, ie those who had left Vietnam clandestinely, have been detained under screening processes monitored by UNHCR not to be refugees, and who did not
volunteer to, return home.
- On the same occasion documents were signed covering the modalities for the orderly repatriation of non-refugees who arrived in Hong Kong after 29 October 1991 and those who, having already been voluntarily repatriated, returned to Hong Kong in the hope of collecting a further UNHCR reintegration allowance.
So far 123 people have been returned to Vietnam under these arrangements. During the same period some 7,500 have returned voluntarily.
Agreement has now been reached with the Vietnamee on the modalities for the return to Vietnam of illegal immigrants who arrived in Hong Kong before 29 October 1991. Arrangements are therefore now in place for all Vietnamese migrants now in Hong Kong who have been found not to be refugees and who do not opt to return voluntarily.
The British Government supports voluntary repatriation and has been encouraged by the numbers applying to return to Vietnam in this way. However there will inevitably be some who do not volunteer and for these people it will be necessary to arrange additional repatriation flights from time to time.
The Vietnamese Government has reconfirmed that no illegal immigrant who returns to Vietnam will face persecution and that it will continue to facilitate the monitoring of those who return by UNHCR and others, to ensure that this guarantee is fully respected. Since 1988 more than 20,000 Vietnamese migrants have returned voluntarily from the region without a single substantiated case of persécution.
VMI AGJ
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