SPEECH BY HE THE GOVERNOR TO LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
ON 23 OCTOBER 1980
IMMIGRATION (AMENDMENT) (II) BILL 1980
In accordance with Standing Order II(I) (b) I
would like to make a statement in order to commend
to Honourable Members the motion standing in the name
of the Chief Secretary. The legislation he will introduce,
if acceptable to this Council, would radically change our
traditional policy towards illegal immigrants from China.
It would not only end the so-called reached base" policy,
but it would also make it an offence to employ illegal
immigrants.
There are two streams of immigrants from China who
reach here and stay. The first group are those who leave
China legally with proper permits. The daily figure of
150 is much too high and I hope will come down.
But we
can live with this stream for the time being. Sooner or
later means must be found of enabling people from Guangdong
to pay genuine short visits to their friends and relatives
in Hong Kong while ensuring that they do not stay here
permanently. It is the other stream, the illegal one,
which operates outside the laws of both China and Hong
Kong which must be stopped and to which our present
proposals relate.
Hong Kong's record of providing home and livelihood
for persons wishing to enter from China must be unequalled