§ Mr. David AtkinsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the use of the Green Island reception centre in Hong Kong; and if he will make a statement on the comparison of conditions with those in the Tai A Chan detention centre.
§ Mr. GoodladThe Green Island detention centre was originally used exclusively as a reception facility for Vietnamese migrants arriving in Hong Kong. It is now used principally for holding those who are scheduled for repatriation to Vietnam. The centre has a capacity of about 500. It has dormitory huts like all other detention centres but it does not have kitchen facilities; meals are provided by an outside caterer. The recreational area is limited. Non-government organisations provide services in the centre which is also visited daily by a medical team.
The Tai A Chau detention centre has a capacity of about 10,000. It is on a remote island and, because of both size and location, it is self-contained. Unlike other detention centres, the Vietnamese migrants are allowed out of the centre during the day and engage in a range of activities which include farming, poultry raising and fish breeding.
§ Mr. David AtkinsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what was the total number of immigrants from Vietnam arriving in Hong Kong between 1975 and the end of 1992; how many of these were resettled in third countries; how many of them were returned to Vietnam(a) voluntarily and (b) compulsorily; and how many remained in Hong Kong on 31 December 1992.
§ Mr. GoodladA total of 183,542 Vietnamese migrants arrived in Hong Kong between 1975 and the end of 1992. According to figures from the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, as at 31 December 1992, taking account of children born in the camps in Hong Kong, 138,023 had been resettled in third countries, 26,729 had been repatriated and 45,317 remained in Hong Kong.
29WA total of 418 were returned to Vietnam under the orderly repatriation programme or other bilateral arrangements.
§ Mr. David AtkinsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what were the total numbers on 1 February in Hong Kong for(a) Vietnamese refugees, (b) Vietnamese immigrants awaiting screening and (c) Vietnamese determined to be illegal immigrants.
§ Mr. GoodladOn I February the total number of Vietnamese migrants in Hong Kong was 44,803. Of these 2,495 were refugees, 19,869 were awaiting screening or its results and 22,439 had been determined to be illegal immigrants.