Published on Friday, July 28, 2000
British Virgin Islands to
repatriate illegal immigrants
REUTERS in Road Town
Unwilling to keep paying board and lodging for a group of 36 illegal
Chinese immigrants, the British Virgin Islands government will shell
out to fly them home to the mainland, the Caribbean News Agency
reported overnight (HK time).
The repatriation will cost the British territory US$108,000
(HK$841,000) in air fares. It has spent about US$20,000 (HK$155,000)
on food and security for the detainees since they ended up on the
islands two months ago, according to Chief Minister Ralph O'Neal.
Groups of Chinese illegal immigrants are brought to the US Virgin
Islands every month by alien smugglers where they usually apply for
political asylum. British Virgin Island authorities believe the
group of 36 was dumped there because the US Coast Guard was
patrolling around the US islands, the news agency said.
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