SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 1981
CHECKS ON II'S STEPPED UP
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ANTI-ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION MEASURES CONTINUED THIS WEEK AND MORE THAN 70 PERSONS SUSPECTED OF BEING HERE ILLEGALLY HAVE BEEN REFERRED TO THE IMMIGRATION DEPARTMENT FOR INVESTIGATION,
IN ANOTHER JOINT OPERATION BY THE POLICE, LABOUR AND IMMIGRATION DEPARTMENTS DURING THE PAST THREE DAYS, MORE THAN 80 000 PEOPLE WERE CHECKED FOR IDENTIFICATION AND OVER 8 000
INDUSTRIAL AND NON-INDUSTRIAL ESTABLISHMENTS VISITED.
AND A GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN REPEATED TODAY THAT THESE MEASURES -- INCLUDING THE REQUIREMENT TO CARRY AND PRODUCE PROOF OF IDENTITY, EVEN AT WORK -- · WOULD CONTINUE, AS WAS MADE CLEAR BY THE CHIEF SECRETARY, SIR JACK CATER, IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL LAST WEDNESDAY.
DURING THE OPERATION, POLICE INCREASED THEIR IDENTIFICATION SPOT CHECKS IN PUBLIC PLACES AND ALSO CARRIED OUT SPECIAL OPERATIONS IN SUSPECT AREAS AND LOCATIONS THROUGHOUT THE TERRITORY.
A TOTAL OF 24 SUSPECTED ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS - FIVE WITH FORGED ID CARDS WERE SURFACED AND SOME 500 PERSONS WERE SUMMONSED FOR FAILING TO PRODUCE PROPER PROOF OF IDENTITY. A FURTHER 338 WERE WARNED IN RESPECT OF THIS OFFENCE.
ON THE LABOUR FRONT, LABOUR INSPECTORS MADE DAY AND NIGHT CALLS ON 8 788 ESTABLISHMENTS TO WEED OUT ANY ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT WHO MAY BE WORKING, AND TO CHECK THAT EMPLOYERS FULFILL THEIR LEGAL OBLIGATION OF KEEPING PROPER RECORDS OF THEIR EMPLOYEES.
LABOUR INSPECTORS FOUND 16 PEOPLE IN 16 ESTABLISHMENTS WITHOUT PROOF OF IDENTITY. THEY TOO HAVE BEEN REFERRED TO THE IMMIGRATION DEPARTMENT.
EIGHTEEN ESTABLISHMENTS WERE FOUND NOT TO BE KEEPING PROPER RECORDS OF EMPLOYEES, WHILE 105 ESTABLISHMENTS COULD NOT PRODUCE ACCEPTABLE EMPLOYEE RECORDS AT THE TIME OF THE VISITS.
THE SPOKESMAN REMINDED EMPLOYERS THAT THEY COULD BE FINED UP TO $50 000 AND BE JAILED FOR UP TO A YEAR IF THEY WERE FOUND ENGAGING ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS. THEY ALSO RISKED A $10 000 FINE IF THEY FAILED TO KEEP UP-TO-DATE RECORDS OF EACH OF THE IR EMPLOYEES LISTING THE EMPLOYEE'S NAME, TYPE OF IDENTITY DOCUMENT AND THE NUMBER OF THE DOCUMENT.
THE SPOKESMAN THANKED MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC FOR THE IR COOPERATION IN MEASURES TO DETER ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION. +BY CARRYING THE IR ID CARDS, OR OTHER ACCEPTABLE PROOF OF IDENTITY, MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC GREATLY ASSIST THE POLICE, IMMIGRATION OFFICERS AND LABOUR INSPECTORS IN DETECTING ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS.+