POPULATION AND IMMIGRATION
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The 1986 By-census showed that 59.3 per cent of the population were born in Hong Kong. Most of the population have their family origin in Guangdong Province. People with their origin in Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Macau and adjacent places form the largest community, followed by the Siyi group and the Chaozhou group. The remaining portion of the Chinese population in Hong Kong have their origin in other parts of Guangdong and other provinces of China.
The estimated number of non-Hong Kong Commonwealth citizens residing in Hong Kong at the end of 1987 was 67 900. These comprised: British 14 100 (excluding members of the Armed Forces); Indian 15 800, Malaysian 10 200; Australian 8 800; Singaporean 5 300; Canadian 9 100; and nationals of other Commonwealth countries 4 600. The estimate for non-Commonwealth residents in Hong Kong was 104 300. Of these, the largest groups were: Filipino 39 100, American 14 700; Pakistani 7700; Japanese 8 500; Thai 10 100; Portuguese 7 600; Indonesian 3 300; German 1 600; Korean 2 600; French 1 500 and Dutch 1 200.
Immigration Department
The work of the Immigration Department falls into two main streams - controlling people moving into and out of Hong Kong, and providing travel documents and registration facilities for local residents. The work embraces such diverse fields as the issue of travel documents, visas and identity cards, naturalisation, and the registration of births, deaths and marriages. Much effort also goes into the detection and prosecution of those who breach the immigration laws and the repatriation of those who are in Hong Kong illegally.
Immigration policies are framed to limit permanent population growth, while every effort is made to streamline immigration procedures for Hong Kong residents, tourists and businessmen.
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Legislation
Major changes in legislation took effect on July 1, as a consequence of the Sino-British agreement on the future of Hong Kong.
The Hong Kong (British Nationality) Order 1986 made provision for the acquisition of the new status of British National (Overseas) for persons who are British Dependent Territories Citizens by virtue of a connection with Hong Kong, as provided for in the United Kingdom Memorandum associated with the Sino-British Joint Declaration. The order also made provision for the reduction of statelessness, so that no one will be rendered stateless when British sovereignty and jurisdiction over Hong Kong ends on July 1, 1997.
The Immigration Ordinance (Cap 115) was amended to provide for the 'right of abode' and to define 'Hong Kong permanent resident' as a person who enjoys that right. The principal effect of these amendments was to give the same rights to 'Chinese residents' as were enjoyed previously by 'Hong Kong belongers'.
The Registration of Persons Ordinance (Cap 177) and subsidiary legislation was amended to provide for the issue of permanent identity cards to persons defined as 'Hong Kong permanent residents' and ordinary identity cards to other persons. A Registration of Persons Tribunal was established to hear any appeal by a person who is refused a permanent identity card.
Immigration Control
The number of passengers moving into and out of Hong Kong continued to increase, and as a result, all immigration control points had a very busy year. Passenger traffic in 1987
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