§ Sir John Farrasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will initiate negotiations with the Vietnamese Government with a view to making arrangements to repatriate boat people, arriving in Hong Kong, who do not meet the United Nations definition of refugees.
§ Mr. RentonRepatriation clearly raises very difficult political and humanitarian questions. We recognise, however, the burden placed on Hong Kong by the continuing flow of boat people into the territory. We are actively examining all practical ways of achieving a durable solution to the problem.
§ Mr. McCrindleasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress is being made on the resettlement of Vietnamese refugees from Hong Kong; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Renton3,816 Vietnamese refugees were resettled from the camps in Hong Kong during 1986. As a result, and despite an increase in new arrivals in 1986, the population of the camps fell from 9,443 to 8,039 during the year. We are now considering, in consultation with the UNHCR, what more might be done to help Hong Kong.
§ Mr. McCrindleasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he is satisfied that boat people arriving in Hong Kong meet the United Nations definition of refugees; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. RentonWe do not examine individual newly arriving boat people in Hong Kong in order to determine whether or not they are refugees under the terms of the 1951 convention. Since 1979 we and Hong Kong have continued to base our treatment of the boat people on the40W international understanding, reached at the 1979 Geneva conference on Indo China, that all who left Indo China illegally were to be treated as refugees. None has been turned away by the Hong Kong authorities.
§ Mr. McCrindleasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions have taken place with the Vietnamese Government on the subject of the repatriation of boat people arriving in Hong Kong; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. RentonNo discussions have taken place between the Government and the Vietnamese authorities on the subject of repatriation. Repatriation clearly raises difficult political and humanitarian questions. We recognise, however, the burden placed on Hong Kong by the continuing flow of boat people into the territory. We are actively examining all practical ways of achieving a durable solution to the problem and are discussing these with the major resettlement countries.