0003230

G.F. 323

CONFIDENTIAL

68

Under section 23 of the Imigration (Control and Offences) Ordinance, the Director of Immigration is empowered

to inpose a civil penalty in a fixed sun of one thousand-

dollars on the owner of any aircraft in which a person whó

does not have a valid travel document is brought to Hong Kong.

The fixed penalty is not altogether desirable and it is now

thought more appropriate to make it an offence to bring to

Hong Kong a passenger who does not have a valid travel

document, 30 that a court will have discretion as to the

penalty to be imposed (clause 35).

Clause 37 (1)(a) and (b) introduces now offences in

relation to false statements made to immigration officers and

others acting under the legislation or in documents furnished

for the purposes of the legislation. Clause 37(2), in addition

to re-enacting the existing law relating to the forgery of

travel documents and possession of forged or false travel

documents, will make it an offence to alter a travel document

and to use

or possess an unlawfully altered travel document.

It will also make it an offence to possess a travel document

if a false statement was made in connection with an application

for its issue. All the offences to be created by clause 37

will be triable on indictment as well as surrarily.

10.

Forfeiture of vehicles and ships.

The provisions for the forfeiture of vehicles and

ships have been revised considerably and follow substantially

the corresponding modern provisions of the Import and Export

Ordinance 1970.

11.

Suspension of deportation

on orders.

As the law stands, a deportation order in force in

respect of a person whose deportation is impracticable must

either remain in force or be rescinded altogether. This is

unsatisfactory and clause 50 seeks to empower the Governor to

suspend a deportation order as an alternative to rescission.

CONFIDENTIAL

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