§ 45. Sir W. Teelingasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what organisation the United Nations has in Hong Kong for refugees; what is the arrangement between this organisation and the Government of Hong Kong in dealing with those people known either as refugees from the Chinese mainland or illegal entries into the Colony; and who eventually decides these people's status.
§ Mr. GreenwoodThe Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Hong Kong facilitates the resettlement in other countries of European refugees who leave China via Hong Kong. It has no responsibilities in connection with Chinese persons who enter the Colony.
The decision, whether or not to admit a person to Hong Kong, is a matter for the discretion of the local authorities.
§ Mr. Biggs-Davisonasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he will give an assurance that no Chinese refugees are sent back to the Chinese mainland by the Hong Kong authorities if this would render them liable to the death penalty.
§ Mr. GreenwoodYes. There is no reason to believe that those persons attempting to enter Hong Kong illegally and returned to China by the Hong Kong authorities are liable to the death penalty.
§ Sir W. Teelingasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies why 28 refugees from the Chinese mainland who were rounded up in Hong Kong on 27th May were returned to China on 2nd June in view of the fact that the authorities were 245W requested to turn them over to local relief bodies for repatriation to Taiwan, to hand them over to international relief agencies for repatriation and resettlement, or to hand them over to the representatives' office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Hong Kong for action.
§ Mr. Greenwood40 persons were intercepted by the Hong Kong Police on the 27th May while they were attempting to enter the Colony illegally by sea from China.
One of them possessed a Hong Kong Identity Card and was allowed to stay. The remaining 39 were repatriated to China on 31st May and 1st June after the Hong Kong authorities had satisfied themselves that there was no good reason why they should be admitted to Hong Kong.
No request was made to the Hong Kong Government on their behalf until 3rd June when the Chairman of the Rennies Mill refugee camp relief Committee asked that they should be allowed to remain in the Colony until arrangements could be made to send them to Formosa. None of the 39 immigrants had themselves expressed any desire to go there.
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Hong Kong facilitates the resettlement in other countries of European refugees who leave China via Hong Kong. It has no responsibilities in connection with Chinese persons who enter the Colony.