POPULATION AND IMMIGRATION
Immigration Control
Passenger traffic continued to increase in 1996. A total of 99.8 million passengers travelled to and from Hong Kong, up 8.3 per cent from 92.1 million in 1995. Movements to and from China rose by 8.9 per cent, from 59.7 million in 1995 to 65 million. The number of visitors travelling to Hong Kong also increased, from 10.2 million in 1995 to 11.7 million in 1996, up 14.7 per cent. These included 2.3 million from China and 1.8 million from Taiwan.
Legal Immigration
During 1996, 61 179 Chinese residents came to settle in Hong Kong. Of these, 24 780 were wives, 31 774 were children and 1 649 were husbands of local residents. Of the children who arrived in 1996, 20 228 will have the right of abode in the Hong Kong Special Administration Region (HKSAR) after 1997 under category (3) of the second paragraph of Article 24 of the HKSAR Basic Law.
Illegal Immigration
With its steady economic growth and proximity to China, Hong Kong remains vulnerable to influxes of illegal immigrants from China. The daily average arrest figure for 1996 was 63, a decease of 13.7 per cent compared with 73 in 1995.
Most illegal immigrants came to Hong Kong looking for work and higher wages. Frequent checks were conducted on construction sites, factories and other places of employment. Illegal immigrants found working were prosecuted before repatriation. Their employers were also prosecuted. Most of them were fined, but in serious cases prison sentences were imposed.
British Nationality Selection Scheme
The British Nationality Selection Scheme, which enables up to 50 000 heads of household and their dependants to acquire British citizenship without having to leave Hong Kong, is approaching its final stage. By the end of 1996, 49 842 households comprising 134 094 persons in total had been registered as British citizens. The Selection Scheme is expected to be completed before June 1997.
Emigration
The estimated number of emigrants increased from an average of 20 000 a year in the early 1980s to about 60 000 a year in the early 1990s. It was estimated that about 43 000 and 40 300 people emigrated in 1995 and 1996 respectively. There were signs that emigrants were returning to Hong Kong. It was estimated that at least 12 per cent of persons who had emigrated in the decade before 1994 had returned to Hong Kong.
Personal Documentation
During the year, 795 571 passports were issued, up 30 per cent from 1995. This total included 788 491 British National (Overseas) — or BN(O) — passports, compared with 598 188 in 1995. The first 10 phases of the world-wide BN(O) phased registration programme for persons born in 1995 and before, have been completed. The programme, which started in July 1993, provides for eligible persons to apply, in phases and by age groups, for BN(O) passports before specific cut-off dates. The
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