SPEECH BY THE ATTORNEY GENERAL
IN LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ON WEDNESDAY 12 DECEMBER 1979
IMMIGRATION ORDINANCE
(Chapter 115)
Sir,
I move the second motion standing in my name on the Order Paper.
Members will recall that on the same date that I mentioned in moving the previous motion, the 10th January, they passed the Immigration (Amendment) Bill 1979. That Bill was concerned with section 18(2) of the principal Ordinance, under which a person who is refused permission to land in Hong Kong may not be removed from Hong Kong by immigration officers after the expiry of 2 months beginning with the date on which he was refused such permission. Such a restriction was obviously not appropriate in respect of refugees from Vietnam. The Immigration (Amendment) Bill 1979 accordingly added a new subsection (3) to section 18, which provides that subsection (2) does not apply to refugees from Vietnam. Subsection (4) was added at the same time to provide that subsection (3) would cease to have effect on 31 December 1979 unless this Council by resolution otherwise determined. Our circumstances are still such that subsection (3) is clearly required and this motion seeks approval for its retention until the end of next year, unless otherwise determined by this Council.
Sir, I beg to move.