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Legals
Profiles of Legal and Illegal Immigrants
from China
Annex B
A significant proportion (%) of legals from China are children under the age of 15 (29%) and people over the age of .60 (6%). Most (2/3) legals come to Hong Kong in family units with an average of 2 children. Over half of them come here to join parents or spouses.
2.
Unlike illegals, legal immigrants have a stronger urban origin. About of them come from cities. This is reflected by the fact that only about 20% of them were farmers/ fishermen back in China.
3.
Generally they had better education than illegals.
This is Almost half of them had secondary education or above. again reflected by the fact that some 7% were professionals or technicians in China.
4.
The bulk of legals are employed as semi-skilled or unskilled workers here. Most are able to obtain employment within 2 or 3 months after arrival.
5.
A distinct difference from the illegals is that over half of the legals cannot speak Cantonese.
6.
Like illegals, legal immigrants tend to stay with their relatives when they first come. Their relatives are said to be of average financial background.
Illegals
7.
Illegals are predominantly male (80%), young (90% between the age of 15 and 29) and single (90%).
8.
Illegals have a
strong agrarian background.
This
is reflected by the fact that 3/4 of them were farmers/fishermen when they were in China.
9.
Virtually all illegals had some form of education but the level was lower than the legals. About 80% of them had primary education only.
10.
Like legals, they are basically employed as unskilled or semi-skilled workers in Hong Kong and most of them are able to get employment within two or three months after arrival.
11.
Most illegals tend to stay with their relatives or friends when they first come. One in four stays in public housing or other subsidised forms of housing. Their relatives and friends are said to be of average financial background.
Security Branch
Government Secretariat
7 February 1980