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IMMIGRATION AND TOURISM
movements to and from China, up 5.1 million from 12.1 million in 1983, but the figures for other categories of travellers also showed increases. As a result, all immigration control points had a very busy year. The bulk of the China traffic was carried by rail via Lo Wu which remained under heavy pressure. Conditions at Lo Wu were uncomfortable for both passengers and staff because of severe overcrowding in the present temporary terminal building. Considerable improvement was made in July following the installation of a $2 million air-conditioning system in the terminal building. A permanent modern terminal is under construction and it is expected to be completed by 1987. In the meantime, to reduce crowding, the opening hours of the control point have been extended and special arrangements are made for passengers on some trains to receive immigration clearance at Kowloon Station. A third 'through train' from Hong Kong to Guangzhou began operating in July. A new traffic link with China was established when the control point at Sha Tin was opened to service people travelling by ferry to a resort area at Meisha. Work is proceeding on a new road link and control point at Sha Tau Kok, and additional border crossing facilities at Man Kam To will also be provided. Computerisation of immigration procedures at control points is being studied with a view to streamlining the system.
Arrangements for residents of China to visit Hong Kong were further extended. In addition to individual visitors coming to see relatives in Hong Kong, there are now group tours arriving from Guangdong and other parts of China. In 1984, there were 45 900 individual visitors and 28 000 visitors who travelled in groups. The arrangements have worked satisfactorily.
Personal Documentation
During the year, 1.2 million travel documents were issued to Hong Kong residents, slightly more than the figure for 1983. Re-entry permits for travel to China and Macau accounted for some 75 per cent of all issues.
The scheme for replacing all existing Hong Kong identity cards with a new type of card continued to make good progress. By the end of 1984, most men under 37 years of age and women under 30 had obtained new cards. Over two million cards have now been issued and the exercise will be completed in 1987.
Vietnamese Refugees
The size of the Vietnamese refugee population remained fairly steady throughout 1984, being 12 770 at the start of the year and 11 896 at the end. Only 3 694 had been resettled overseas, while an additional 2 230 had arrived, and 553 had been born in Hong Kong. Despite this apparent stagnation in the overall situation, there were several developments during the year, some encouraging and some less so.
The closed centre policy, which was first adopted in July 1982 in an effort to discourage further arrivals from Vietnam, was maintained in 1984 in the face of a continuing flow of small boats across the South China Sea and diminishing resettlement opportunities. The rate of resettlement fell from 37 000 in 1980 to 18 000 in 1981, 9 000 in 1982, 4 200 in 1983 and 3 694 in 1984. Under the closed centre policy, new arrivals continue to be detained in the closed centres pending their resettlement overseas. Those in the closed centres are not allowed to seek outside employment, visits are regulated, and, for their own protection and common benefit, refugees have to abide by rules governing the daily running of the centres.
A new closed centre, the Bowring Closed Centre, is due to open around April 1985 on the site of a former army camp in the western New Territories, bringing to 6 800 the total