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Monday, January 21, 1974
MIGRATION OFFICERS NOT JUST PASSPORT STAMPING MACHINES
Immigration officers play a very important part in projecting a
good image of Hong Kong to the millions of people visiting Hong Kong every
year.
This was the message from the Deputy Colonial Secretary, Mr. Michael
Clinton to graduating immigration officers at their passing out parade at
Happy Valley this (Monday) morning. The parade was a special event in that
it was the first time all the new recruits were university graduates.
Hr. Clinton impressed on them that they were not merely "passport
stamping machines" but officers who must on the one hand enforce immigration
laws sensibly and, on the other serve the public and help solve their difficulties.
"The immigration service deals with people
human worries and human responses
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human beings with
people who will judge Hong Kong and its
administration partly by the impression you create."
It was therefore important that immigration officers maintain the
high standards of the service by showing understanding and consideration of
the problems of people being served, Mr. Clinton said.
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He noted that many local citizens were taking more opportunities to
travel abroad and they might have no idea of the official requirements and
why they were necessary.
"A courteous and helpful approach will help to dispel the public's
feeling of being caught up in a lot of unnecessary red-tape," he said.
Note to Editors: Copies of a photograph taken during this morning's
parade are boxed for collection together with the full text of Mr. Clinton's speech.
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