HC Deb 14 June 1991 vol 192 cc727-8W
Mr. Winnick

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will call for a report on why Lee Bun and her husband were refused asylum in Hong Kong; and what information he has over their fate after they had returned to China.

Mr. Lennox-Boyd

The Hong Kong Government have informed us that Li Bin and her husband, Li Qing-Ming, entered Hong Kong illegally on 2 September 1989. They did not seek asylum. They first came into contact with the Hong Kong authorities on 6 December when they were arrested, trying to buy forged Thai passports. They had in their possession US$77,000 and HK$28,000 in cash. The couple subsequently claimed that they had been involved in the political protests in China from April to June 1989 and feared that they would be persecuted if returned to China. This claim was carefully examined by Hong Kong Government officials.

As stated in court it appeared that there were material shortcomings and suspected fabrications in their account, particularly in Mr. Li's account of his alleged medical qualifications and experience, the couple's alleged involvement in the student movement and protests, and their failure to account adequately for the large sums of money in their possession. The Lis went through the whole legal appeals procedure in Hong Kong and following the dismissal of the couple's case by the immigration tribunal, the High Court and the Court of Appeal, they returned voluntarily to China in July 1990.

We have no information on the couple after their return to China. The Hong Kong Government have asked the Chinese authorities for information on them.

Mr. Alton

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the policy of his Department on repatriation of orphaned children.

Mr. Lennox-Boyd

The policy agreed with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees is that no child will be repatriated to Vietnam unless he/she has a family to return to.

Mr. Alton

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many returnees have been contacted by the British embassy in Hanoi.

Mr. Lennox-Boyd

The British embassy in Hanoi makes regular visits to areas where significant numbers of migrants have returned from Hong Kong but does not maintain precise details of numbers of returnees seen. Since December 1989, 11 such visits have been made. Many of the 51 returnees sent back on 12 December 1989 have been contacted more than once.