§ Lord Aylestone asked Her Majesty's Government:
§ By what date it is expected that the Vietnamese immigrants now held in camps in Hong Kong as refugees or illegal immigrants will return home and the camps be closed down.
§ Baroness TrumpingtonMy Lords, at current rates of arrivals in Hong Kong and returns to Vietnam, it will take over three years to resolve this problem.
§ Lord AylestoneMy Lords, I thank the noble Baroness for her reply. Can she say what will be the position of those immigrants who, having been interrogated, the committee's conclusion is that they are political refugees and not immigrants?
§ Baroness TrumpingtonMy Lords, they will have been monitored and screened. If they are political refugees they will be given asylum, but if they are not they will be returned to Vietnam.
§ Lord Cledwyn of PenrhosMy Lords, does the noble Baroness agree that a satisfactory settlement of this complex and difficult matter cannot be achieved until the United States lifts its economic embargo on Vietnam, which will then give Vietnam access to the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and so forth? Can the noble Baroness say what discussions there have been between Her Majesty's Government and the United States administration on this possibility? If we are to make real progress then we must progress on that front.
§ Baroness TrumpingtonMy Lords, it is really for United States officials to explain their position. We are, and will continue to be, in close touch with the US administration. We believe that it understands the seriousness of Hong Kong's position. Perhaps I may add that since the orderly repatriation programme came in there have been far fewer people arriving. The numbers have been considerably smaller. The return of refugees has been taking place in a satisfactory way.
§ Lord Cledwyn of PenrhosMy Lords, I am much obliged to the noble Baroness and I apologise for rising again. Can she tell the House what kind of reception those who have been sent back are receiving from the Vietnamese Government? Can the noble Baroness say how they are being treated now?
§ Baroness TrumpingtonMy Lords, the mandatory returnees are seen by embassy and UNHCR officials at the Co Nhue reception centre. Subsequently more than 80 per cent. of them have been seen again. There are more than 20,000 migrants who have been returned to Vietnam and not one substantiated case of persecution has been found.
§ Lord GlenarthurMy Lords, can my noble friend give any indication as to the number of boat people who have been screened in as refugees rather than those who are to be returned to Vietnam?
§ Baroness TrumpingtonMy Lords, the total number of Vietnamese migrants stands at nearly 56,000. As I said, as a result of the orderly repatriation programme the number of arrivals has fallen off dramatically. There were only seven in the first four months, compared with nearly 3,500 in the same period last year. I can inform my noble friend that 6,368 migrants have returned voluntarily since the ORP was announced last October. That procedure is carrying on apace.
§ Lord Taylor of BlackburnMy Lords, perhaps I may ask the noble Baroness how many of these refugees have been screened—
§ Lord ShepherdMy Lords, if there are political refugees, can the noble Baroness say what will be their position after 1997? Would they become the responsibility of the People's Republic of China with the acquisition of Hong Kong or would they become the responsibility of Her Majesty's Government?
§ The Lord Privy Seal (Lord Wakeham)My Lords, I believe that my noble friend was just finding her place in her notes. Will the noble Lord who asked the first question ask it again?
§ Lord Taylor of BlackburnMy Lords, how many of the refugees have been screened and how many have not?
§ Baroness TrumpingtonMy Lords, I do not have the actual numbers here, but I shall write to the noble Lord.
§ Lord ShepherdMy Lords, if there are political refugees, can the noble Baroness say what will be their position after 1997? Will they become the responsibility of the People's Republic of China or will they be a residual responsibility of Her Majesty's Government?
§ Baroness TrumpingtonMy Lords, a new agreement has been reached with Vietnam. Migrants will continue to return to Vietnam under this new agreement. The responsibility is ours until they actually return to their homes.
§ Lord ShepherdMy Lords, I am still not very clear. I am asking about the Minister's reply to an earlier question about the position of political refugees. What will be their position after 1997? Surely they would not be returned to Vietnam?
§ Baroness TrumpingtonMy Lords, I said that the whole matter would be cleared up in three years' time, which takes us to before 1997.