§ Mr. Parryasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if any discussions have taken place with the Chinese Government concerning the 1,300 families of boat people living in Hong Kong waters; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. RentonThere have been discussions with the Chinese Government about the 14 boat wives from the Yau Ma Tei typhoon shelter who returned to China on 8 August and 24 October 1985. No other discussions with the Chinese Government on the boat-dwelling families in Hong Kong have taken place.
§ Mr. Parryasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the current state of human rights and civil liberties in Hong Kong.
§ Mr. RentonBoth the international covenant on civil and political rights and the international covenant on economic, social and cultural rights apply to Hong Kong.
§ Mr. Parryasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what are the age groups of children born in Hong Kong waters whose parents have been notified that they are liable to deportation.
§ Mr. RentonIn the families of the 14 boat wives who were asked to leave Hong Kong, none of the children were born in Hong Kong waters. Of the total of 29 children born to these 14 wives, 21 were born on land in Hong Kong. Their ages range from a few months to four years.
§ Mr. Parryasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs in the case of how many children born in Hong Kong territorial waters their parents have been notified that they are liable to deportation; and what is their current citizenship status.
§ Mr. RentonAll of the 21 children born in Hong Kong are Hong Kong British dependent territories citizens with right to land in Hong Kong, because they were born in Hong Kong to a parent (father) who had achieved settled status in Hong Kong.
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§ Mr. Parryasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the policy of the Hong Kong Government towards immigration by boat people.
§ Mr. RentonVietnamese boat people who seek asylum in Hong Kong are allowed to remain temporarily in the territory, pending overseas resettlement. The Hong Kong Government only admit immigrants from China if they have been issued with one-way Chinese exit permits by the Chinese authorities. All illegal immigrants are liable to be repatriated.
§ Mr. Parryasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has as to whether the boat people's families currently in Hong Kong were allowed to leave China and as to whether their Chinese citizenship status has been cancelled by the Chinese Government.
§ Mr. RentonFourteen boat wives who had been living in the Yau Ma Tei typhoon shelter and were found to be illegal immigrants in Hong Kong returned to China in August and October 1985. Their families remaining in Hong Kong are legal residents of Hong Kong. The wives who returned to China did not possess Chinese one-way exit permits. We understand that their Chinese nationality status and household registrations have not been cancelled by the Chinese Government.
§ Mr. Parryasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on what basis it has been decided by the Hong Kong Government that wives of boatmen in Hong Kong waters are not allowed on land except in case of serious illness.
§ Mr. RentonBoat-dwelling wives who are legal residents of Hong Kong may come ashore any time. Boat-dwelling wives who are in Hong Kong without the permission of the director of immigration are illegal immigrants. They are allowed ashore only in exceptional circumstances.
§ Mr. Parryasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has as to how many boat people have drowned in Hong Kong waters in each of the past five years.
§ Mr. RentonInformation on the number of boat people drowned in Hong Kong waters is not available, but the Hong Kong Government believe the figure to be very small.
§ Mr. Parryasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations the Hong Kong Government have received from the boat brides support committee concerning the proposed deportation of certain boat women; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. RentonThe Hong Kong Government have received representations from various groups supporting the request made by the 14 wives from the Yau Ma Tei typhoon shelter for permission to remain in Hong Kong. These groups include the Society for Community Organisation, the Hong Kong federation of Catholic students, the husbands of the wives, various Catholic priests and the Catholic bishop of Hong Kong. In response to these representations the Hong Kong Government have pointed out that a legal channel, the one-way permit system, exists for residents of China to enter Hong Kong to join relatives; that in 1983 and 1984 30 per cent. of the one-way permits each year were issued to wives joining 421W husbands; and that the position of the 14 wives from the Yau Ma Tei typhoon shelter was essentially no different from that of other illegal immigrants from China residing in Hong Kong without the permission of the director of immigration, whether dwelling on boats or on land.
§ Mr. Parryasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs why the 14 boatwomen who petitioned the Hong Kong Government about its immigration policy in respect of boat people have now been deported.
§ Mr. RentonThe 14 wives who petitioned the Hong Kong Government for permission to remain in Hong Kong have not been deported. They left voluntarily on 8 August and 24 October 1985.
§ Mr. Parryasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how long the 14 women living on boats in Hong Kong waters, who have now been deported, had been there prior to their deportation.
§ Mr. RentonPrior to their departure, the 14 wives had lived in Hong Kong waters from various periods ranging from, two and half years to four and a half years.
§ Mr. Sedgemoreasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if any entry visas have been granted to members of the Nigerian police or Nigerian Security Organisation to investigate alleged fraud in relation to trade in any of the years 1983, 1984 and 1985 to the present day.
§ Mr. EggarWe are not aware of any cases of such visits where prior entry clearance has been sought.
It is not mandatory for Nigerian citizens visiting the United Kingdom to obtain prior entry clearances.