CONFIDENTIAL
XCC(76)82
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機密
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amounts to a residence permit, should be issued to a particular applicant
is an immigration one, and should therefore be made by the Director of Immigration. Amalgamation of the two departments would assist in achieving this objective.
Immigration Expertise and Registration of Persons Functions
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It is recognised that in many areas of registration work, an infusion of immigration expertise is necessary. The following consider- ations are relevant:
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(a)
some illegal immigrants, when applying for an identity card, try to hide the fact that they are here illegally by producing forged documents or documents with forged immigration endorsements. These forgeries are not always easy to detect and require the scrutiny of officers trained and experienced in their detection. This expertise is only available to Immigration Department staff;
(b) the Working Party has recommended that the nationality
of applicants for identity cards should be established on registration - Recommendation 10, page 22 of the Report. This requires Immigration Department ex- pertise; and
(c) the Working Party has recommended that the territories
in which an applicant for an identity card lived before entering Hong Kong should be registered - Recommen- dation 11(v), page 23 of the Report. Immigration Department expertise is necessary to check the authenticity of such claims.
An infusion of Immigration Department expertise could best be achieved by having Immigration Department staff working alongside Registration of Persons staff. It will be easier and more economical to make proper arrangements for the direction and supervision of their work if the two departments were amalgamated.
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Co-ordination of Departmental Functions and Procedures
As registration of persons procedures have a close bearing on immigration control, it is desirable that they should only be changed after careful consideration of the effect which changes will have on immigration work and vice-versa. The following are particular areas where this co- ordination is necessary:
CONFIDENTIAL
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