XCCI (88) 76
(e)
no attempt
is
made to
Page
4
cross-reference
identities or to ask people about the purpose
of their journey.
However, despite these drawbacks, the figures have the advantage of being based on an actual count of physical movements. The balance of departures less arrivals from 1964 to date provided by the Immigration Department are as follows
Year
Balance
Year
Balance
1964
10,305
1976
40,445
1965
10,562
1977
15,295
1966
15,662
1978
29,362
1967
20,81 3
1979
12,774
1968
6,855
1980
18,602
1969
11,053
1981
18,195
1970
1,806
1982
21,143
1971
11,496
1983
22,209
1972
18,798
1984
21,522
1973
33,164
1985
11,175
1974
33,386
1986
13,591
1975
41,862
1987
26,766
Returned Emigrants
7
to
It is particularly difficult
produce reliable estimates of the number of returning emigrants. For those using Hong Kong travel documents, we can deduce a figure for a given period by comparing the measured net out flow (Immigration Department statistics) with the calculated number of new departures for emigration (i.e. known visa issue 6 months previously). However, this tells us nothing about those who return using their new passports. This picture has been complicated by the introduction from 1 July 1987 of Permanent Identity Cards (PIC) and the change effected in August 1988 whereby travellers
travellers through Kai
Kai Tak holding a PIC need not produce their travel documents on arrival or departure. Ways of improving our knowledge about returned emigrants are being considered.