Hong Kong Reels Under Viet Influx, Tightens Refugee Rules
The Hong Kong government cracked down on Vietnamese refugees today by announcing a policy that will classify about 90% of arriving boat people as illegal immigrants subject to repatriation.
“The message we want to send back to Vietnam is ‘Do not come here,’ ” Secretary for Security Geoffrey Barnes said.
Chief Secretary Sir David Ford, the No. 2 man in the government, told the Legislative Council that Hong Kong could no longer accept all Vietnamese fleeing their homeland.
Beginning at midnight, new arrivals must prove they face political persecution at home or they will be put into closed camps to await their return to Vietnam, he said.
The government hopes the new policy will be a deterrent to Vietnamese thinking of making the dangerous sea journey to Hong Kong, which is in the midst of its worst Vietnamese refugee crisis since 1979.
“Only 8,000 refugees were in Hong Kong a year ago and the figure this morning was 16,268. This year we’ve had 7,773 arrivals from Vietnam and this month alone 2,621 have arrived,” Barnes said.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
