HONG KONG
LEGAL REPORT
Enclosure No.
THE IMMIGRATION (AMENDMENT) ORDINANCE 1979
(No. 3 of 1979)
Before the enactment of this Ordinance section 18 (2) of the Immigration Ordinance restricted to a period of 2 months the power of an immigration officer to remove from Hong Kong a person who was refused permission to land. Under prevailing circumstances, this period is too short in the case of persons from Vietnam who are refused permission to land in Hong Kong. This Ordinance removes the 2 month limitation on immigration officers' powers in the case of such persons. The effect is to permit further detention pending removal on the authority of the Director of Immigration under section 32(1) of the Ordinance.
2. The amendment will cease to have effect at the end of 1979 unless the Legislative Council extends the life of the provision by means of a resolution.
3.
Before the Governor assented to the Bill in the name and on behalf of Her Majesty, I advised that he could properly do so.
16 January 1979.
ATTORNEY GENERAL'S CHAMBERS,
HONG KONG.
Attorney General.