HONG KONG HANSARD
Reports of the Meetings of the Legislative
Council of Hong Kong.
SESSION 1940.
66
IMMIGRATION CONTROL BILL,
1940.
The Attorney General moved the second reading of a Bill intituled "A Bill to regulate the entry and departure of persons into and out of the Colony, to prohibit the entry of undesirable immigrants and to confer various powers in connexion therewith." He said: As I understand various members of this Council are speaking on this second reading I will reserve any further remarks I have to make for my speech in reply.
C
As Chinese constitute
HON. Mr. M. K. LO. Your Excellency, some 98% of the population of the Colony, any measure such as that contemplated by thisBill is a matter of very great concern to them. I propose, therefore, shortly to state the position of my Chinese colleagues and myself on this question.
For reasons indicated by my Honourable friend the Attorney General in his Objects and Reasons, we cannot but recognise that this measure is a painful necessity in these difficult times. Accordingly we accept the principle of this Bill, and have directed our attention only to its detailed provisions in order to satisfy our own minds that they do impose a minimum of inconvenience on the community compatible with the attainment of the end in view,
The permission granted by my Honourable friend the Secretary for Chinese Affairs to state that this Bill was referred by Govern- ment to the District Watch Committee for their consideration enables me to acknowledge with gratitude the helpful attitude of the Attorney General in regard to suggestions made by the District Watch Committee for certain amendments, which were all readily accepted by him and are now embodied in the Bill before the Council.
The Bill has also received the careful consideration of the Chinese Chamber of Commerce, whose observations (like those received from other sources), have been forwarded to Government. The Chamber's observations are directed chiefly to two points, namely, the provisions of section 7, and the fees set out in the Schedule.
As regards section 7, the Chamber points out that unnecessary hardship and inconvenience will be caused to passengers in possession of valid papers if they too have to proceed to the Immigration Office and remain there until permitted to leave. Personally I have always visualised that passengers whose title to land is clearly established by their papers, would be allowed to land by the Immigration Officer, and that only those whose cases re- quire further investigation would be directed to proceed to the Immi- gration Office. I hope to receive an assurance from Government that my understanding is correct.
As regards the fees the Chamber suggests that they are too high and should be reduced by fifty per cent.
Whilst it is appreciated that the fees are designed not to bring in revenue, but to make the immigration administration self-support- ing, I feel that it must be borne in mind that the administrative measures contemplated by this Bill are in the interests of the Colony as a whole, and that accordingly the burden should not necessarily fall only on those whose movements bring them within the provisions. Accordingly I hope that the question of the reduction of the fees may be considered in committee.