WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7, 1981
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ANTI-ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION LAW SHOWS RESULT
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THE DETERRENT EFFECT OF THE NEW IMMIGRATION LEGISLATION EFFECTIVE ON OCTOBER 30, 1980 IS REVEALED IN A DRAMATIC REDUCTION IN THE NUMBER OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS ARRESTED ON ENTRY INTO HONG KONG.
THE SECRETARY FOR SECURITY, THE HON GEOFFREY BARNES, SAID THIS IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY IN REPLY TO A QUESTION BY THE HON WONG LAM.
THE DRAMATIC REDUCTION HAS BEEN ASSISTED BY THE EFFORTS OF THE CHINESE AUTHORITIES, HE ADDED. FOR EXAMPLE, IN SEPTEMBER 1980, 13 365 ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS WERE ARRESTED ON ENTRY, REPRESENTING A DAILY AVERAGE OF 446 ARRESTS.
+ IN DECEMBER THE MONTHLY TOTAL HAD FALLEN TO 716, A DAILY AVERAGE OF 23 ARRESTS,+ MR BARNES SAID.
THESE FIGURES, HE EMPHASIZED, WILL REMAIN LOW ONLY IF OUR MEASURES CONTINUE TO BE ENFORCED WITH THE UTMOST DETERMINATION AND PERSISTENCE, THIS IS THE GOVERNMENT'S FIRM INTENTION,
HE SAID.
IN HIS REPLY, MR BARNES POINTED OUT THAT UP TO JANUARY 6 THIS YEAR THE POLICE HAD PROSECUTED UNDER THE LEGISLATION 2 220 PERSONS IN THE URBAN AREAS AND 639 PERSONS IN THE NEW TERRITORIES FOR NON-CARRYING OF IDENTITY DOCUMENTS. THIS WAS 0.05 PER CENT OF THE POPULATION.
+DURING THE SAME PERIOD, 145 PERSONS WERE REFERRED TO THE IMMIGRATION DEPARTMENT BY THE POLICE FOR FURTHER INVESTIGATION ON THE GROUNDS THAT THEY WERE SUSPECTED OF BEING ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS.
+ IMMIGRATION INVESTIGATIONS TO DATE HAVE ESTABLISHED THAT 49 OF THESE PERSONS WERE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS FROM CHINA OR MACAU,+ MR BARNES SAID.
NO APPARENT MOTIVE BEHIND BOMBING INCIDENTS
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THERE IS NO EVIDENCE OF ANY MOTIVATION BEHIND THE BUS BOMBING LAST FEBRUARY AND THE RECENT BOMBING INCIDENT AT THE NEW WORLD CENTRE, THE SECRETARY FOR SECURITY, THE HON GEOFFREY BARNES, TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY.
REPLYING TO A QUESTION FROM THE HON LYDIA DUNN, MR BARNES POINTED OUT THAT THERE WAS ONLY ONE BUS BOMBING IN FEBRUARY 1980 IN POLICE RECORDS AND TWO HOAX BOMB INCIDENTS RELATING TO BUSES IN JANUARY AND JUNE.
+NONE OF THESE INCIDENTS WAS ACCOMPANIED BY ANY THREATS OF VIOLENCE OR DEMANDS FOR MONEY OR FOR ACTION IN SUPPORT OF ANY PARTICULAR CAUSE.
+ IT IS THEREFORE DIFFICULT TO SPECULATE ON THE MOTIVATION BEHIND THEM,+ HE SAID.
"REFERRING TO