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SCMP Reporter

TWO Vietnamese refugee sisters have been resettled in Taiwan - the first such move since the resettlement programme began in 1979.

The behind-the-scenes deal was brokered unofficially because Hong Kong does not recognise Taiwan, although unofficial contacts are maintained.

Normally, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) organises refugee resettlement. But because Taiwan is neither a UN member nor a signatory to the Comprehensive Plan of Action which governs resettlement, the UNHCR was unable to play an official role.

However, the UNHCR confirmed that the two sisters, resettled on the basis of family reunion, were sent to Taiwan in February following arrangements made by the Immigration Department.

Travel and medical arrangements were made by the International Organisation for Migration office in Hong Kong.

Sources confirmed the Hong Kong Immigration Department approached the Taiwanese Immigration Department several months ago to try and have the pair resettled.

'It is a very sensitive thing to arrange and something that the PRC [People's Republic of China] keeps a close watch over even though they officially don't acknowledge that such arrangements exist,' a government source said.

'Officially, the Immigration Department should not have any contact with the Taiwanese Government but unofficially there is constant contact with them.'  A spokesman for the unofficial Taiwanese embassy in Hong Kong said he was aware of the refugees being accepted but was not aware of any softening of policy in Taipei, even though Vietnamese refugees had never been accepted before.

The spokesman stressed that people required very close family links to be eligible for resettlement.

 'The applicant should have an immediate family member in Taiwan who can care for them financially,' he said.

       Any application would be assessed by his office before being passed to Taipei for consideration.

He said difficulties still existed for a group of asylum-seekers claiming Taiwanese nationality and seeking resettlement in Taiwan despite being refused refugee status.

Three families have been released after winning a court case in which they were found to have been illegally detained. Some of them have expired nationality documents issued by Taiwanese officials based in Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) before the South Vietnamese Government fell.

The Government has challenged their release in the Court of Appeal and a decision is likely this week.

The Security Branch has acknowledged approaches have been made to Taipei about people believed to have a reasonable claim on Taiwan. It refused to comment on individual cases.

Vietnam has recently maintained a policy of refusing to accept people from Hong Kong's detention centres who claim nationality outside Vietnam.

It is expected the sensitive issue of non-nationals will be dealt with this month when UN troubleshooter Sergio Vierra de Mello arrives in the territory.

As a one-time director of Civil Affairs in the former Yugoslavia and with extensive experience in Vietnamese issues, Mr Vierra de Mello has been directed to resolve the Vietnamese return programme by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Sadako Ogata.

About 22,000 screened-out Vietnamese asylum-seekers remain in Hong Kong's detention centres.



Secret deal resettles refugees in Taiwan