Page 122
Page 122
Objects and Reasons.
1. The object of this Bill is to repeal the Immigration and Passports Ordinance, No. 8 of 1934, and to replace it by an Ordinance which will carry out a recommendation of the Excess Population Reduction Committee as elaborated in "A Scheme for the Control of Immigration into Hong Kong" prepared by Mr. S. M. Middlebrook of the Malayan Civil Service teniporarily seconded to Hong Kong for advice on immigration questions.
2. Although China issues passports to its nationals very few of such nationals possess them, and indeed even very few of the nationals of European countries found it necessary to have them for entry into the Colony until the enactment of the Passports Ordinance, No. 35 of 1923 (since repealed and replaced by Ordinance No. 8 of 1934).
3. The regulations under the 1923 Ordinance, and the provisions of the 1934 Ordinance exempted (a) persons under the age of fifteen years, (b) persons of Chinese race and (c) persons who pass through the waters of the Colony with- out landing, and the 1934 Ordinance also exempted persons employed in the service of any ship who arrive in the Colony and leave in the same ship on her next departure. Permis- sion to enter was denied to all other persons unless they were in possession of valid passports or travel documents, and under section 4 of the 1934 Ordinance certain classes of undesirable immigrants could also be excluded.
4. The Excess Population Reduction Committee recom- mended, inter alia, the suspension of the exemption in the case of persons of Chinese race; but recommended also that Entry Passes and Residential Certificates should be issued locally and accepted for entry into the Colony as the equivalent of passports in the case of those who did not possess passports or travel documents.
5. Mr. Middlebrook's scheme elaborates this recom- mendation and provides also for the issue of Frontier Passes. But the chief feature of his scheme is the establishment of an Immigration Department to take over the duties of the Police Passport Office and to issue all the entry documents, passes and certificates.
6. The local issue of residential certificates is not new in the history of the Colony. Thus by Ordinance No. 16 of 1844 to secure tranquillity and good order in the Colony. of Hong Kong and its dependencies and to prevent the resort thereto of abandoned characters and of persons without any ostensible means of subsistence a Registry was established for the registration of all male residents of the age of twenty- one years and upwards or capable of earning a livelihood; and registration tickets, for which fees were payable, were granted by the Registrar General to applicants who appeared fit and proper persons to be permitted to reside in the Colony. The Registrar General was also empowered to prohibit from residing in the Colony vagabonds or bad characters without visible means of subsistence.
Page 122
Page 122
Page 122