§ Mr. Robin F. Cookasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the number of refugees from mainland China who have sought asylum in Hong Kong, and the number of such refugees who have been returned to China, in each month since December 1974.
§ Mr. EnnalsThe number of illegal immigrants apprehended and returned during the period is as follows:
December 1974 218 January1975 96 February 1975 48 March 1975 45 April 1975 81 May 1975 81 June 1975 101 July 1975 103 August 1975 151 September 1975 192 October 1975 27 November 1975 139 In cases of genuine hardship, illegal immigrants are not returned.
§ Mr. Robin F. Cookasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the screening procedures applied before asylum is granted to refugees from mainland China by the Government of Hong Kong, and what assurances are sought from the Government of China that refugees who are returned will not be victimised.
§ Mr. EnnalsThe Hong Kong Government authorities consider each case of illegal immigration on an individual basis and full account is taken of any special circumstances or genuine hardship. I have no reason to believe that illegal immigrants refused permission to enter Hong Kong receive unduly harsh punishment from the Chinese.