Madam Speaker, I would like to thank the hon. member for his question and for the concern he has shown for the situation of Indo-Chinese boat people throughout southeast Asia.
As the minister has already stated, Canada has also played an important role in the development of the comprehensive plan of action in 1989. Under this international agreement Indo-Chinese asylum seekers are screened under U.S. auspices.
Persons who are determined to become convention refugees are eligible for resettlement in a third country such as Canada. Persons who are found not to be refugees are expected to return to their country of origin. Most of the people who remain in the camps in Hong Kong have been determined not to be refugees and are expected to repatriate to Vietnam.
The non-refugees have been offered voluntary repatriation to Vietnam under United Nations supervision with an additional inducement of reintegration assistance paid by the international community.
Since the inception of the CPA in 1989 Canada has contributed $9 million for maintaining the camps and for returnee programs; 60,000 have returned voluntarily. Unfortunately approximately 50,000 Indo-Chinese remain in the camps in southeast Asia, the vast majority of whom have been found not to be convention refugees after examination under the CPA.
The international community and Canadians expect that humane methods are used to ensure the safe return of these people to their own countries. However in a removal situation, particularly when the individual being returned is not co-operative, some force unfortunately has been employed.
Canada's response to the Vietnamese refugee crisis has been exemplary. During the first 10 years of the Indo-Chinese movement from 1979 to 1988 over 79,000 Vietnamese were resettled by Canada from the camps of southeast Asia. Since the implementation of the CPA in 1989, Canada has resettled over 19,000 Vietnamese refugees from the camps of southeast Asia. In addition, under regular immigration programs directly from Vietnam, Canada has resettled nearly 50,000 Vietnamese.
I congratulate the hon. member for London-Middlesex for raising this important question and for his concern.