15
Immigration and Tourism
傳入
旅務境
遊和
IMMIGRATION Control in Hong Kong has a comparatively recent history. The first restrictions on travel were imposed in 1923 when persons, other than those of Chinese race, entering Hong Kong were required to hold travel documents or visas. The work of checking travel documents and issuing British passports and visas was carried out by the police. In 1940, to contain the rapid growth in population, the government decided to impose stricter controls on immigration and recommended the formation of an Immigration Department to take over these functions from the police. The new department did not, however, survive the war. Following the liberation of Hong Kong in 1945, the police resumed responsibility for immigration duties.
During the initial post-war years, there was a substantial increase in population which gave rise to the need in 1950 to control the entry of Chinese from China. Entry permits were required except for natives of Guangdong. A quota system was also introduced to restrict the number of daily entrants. In 1959, the increased volume of immigration work arising from the sustained influx of Chinese immigrants and the socio-economic development of Hong Kong led the government to revive the issue of establishing an autonomous department for the provision of immigration services.
The Hong Kong Immigration Department was established, with its headquarters in leased premises in a bank building in Central, on August 4, 1961. The department celebrated its 25th Anniversary with a series of events culminating in a parade reviewed by the Governor on November 29, 1986.
Since the establishment of the department, political and economic changes in Hong Kong and elsewhere, and increasing pressure from legal and illegal immigration have brought about significant expansion in the scale and scope of the services it provides. In November 1976, the Immigration Department and the Registration of Persons Department were amalgamated and in May 1979 the department took over responsibilities for the registration of births, deaths and marriages. In recent years, therefore, the department has had to cope with a wider scope of work, as well as dramatic increases in the volume of passengers and applicants making use of its facilities.
In spite of these changes, the central aim of the Immigration Department's work has continued to be to contain increases in population from immigration to acceptable levels. During 1986, about 27 100 legal immigrants from China settled in Hong Kong. In past years, illegal immigration has been the greatest threat to limiting growth to a reasonable level. In September 1980, the rate of illegal immigration had reached 450 each day. Measures taken since then have greatly improved the situation. These include the abolition of the 'reached base' policy (which allowed illegal immigrants from China who had successfully entered Hong Kong to stay), the enactment of legislation requiring all residents over the age of 15 to carry legal documents of identity at all times and employers to inspect