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SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 1984
RUMOURS ABOUT AMNESTY FOR IT'S DISMISSED
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THE RUMOUR MONGERS ARE AT IT AGAIN.
I
THIS TIME SNAKEHEADS ARE SPREADING RUMOURS THAT THERE WILL BE AN AMNESTY FOR ALL ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS AFTER AN AGREEMENT IS REACHED ON THE FUTURE OF HONG KONG.
+THE RUMOURS MAY CHANGE, BUT THE REASON BEHIND THEM HAS ALWAYS BEEN THE SAME.
+ IT IS SIMPLY FOR CHEATING GULLIBLE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS OF THEIR HARD-EARNED MONEY, A GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN SAID TODAY.
BUT THE RUMOURS HAVE LED TO AN INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS ARRESTED WHILE TRYING TO SNEAK INTO HONG KONG.
LAST MONTH, 838 WERE ARRESTED BY SECURITY FORCES AT THE BORDER AND SO FAR THIS MONTH, SOME 800 HAVE BEEN CAUGHT.
+THIS BRINGS THE YEAR'S TOTAL NUMBER OF ARRESTS TO SOME 5 800, ALREADY WAY UP ON LAST YEAR'S 4 671,+ THE SPOKESMAN SAID.
WHILE THE POLICE AND THE ARMED FORCES ARE MAINTAINING A HIGH DEGREE OF VIGILANCE AT THE BORDER, ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS WHO MANAGE TO SLIP IN ARE FINDING IT MORE AND MORE DIFFICULT TO REMAIN UNDETECTED FOR LONG.
FOR A START, THEY HAVE NO HOPE OF GETTING A JOB BECAUSE EMPLOYERS KNOW THAT IT IS ILLEGAL TO EMPLOY ANYONE WITHOUT AN IDENTITY CARD.
AND RELATIVES ARE OFTEN RELUCTANT TO PUT THEM UP BECAUSE THEY KNOW THERE IS NO WAY THEY CAN LEAD A NORMAL LIFE HERE. THEY ALSO KNOW IT IS AN OFFENCE TO AID AND ABET AN ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT.
AN AVERAGE OF EIGHT SUCH ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS ARE BEING FLUSHED OUT BY THE POLICE AND THE IMMIGRATION DEPARTMENT EVERYDAY. MOST ARE DETECTED DURING ROUTINE POLICE SEARCH-AND-STOP OPERATIONS. OTHERS ARE ARRESTED DURING SPECIAL RAIDS AND SOME SIMPLY GIVE THEMSELVES UP.
THE SPOKESMAN POINTED OUT ONCE AGAIN THAT NO MATTER WHAT THE SNAKEHEADS MAY SAY, HONG KONG'S IMMIGRATION POLICY WILL NOT CHANGE.
+THERE WILL BE NO AMNESTY AND ALL ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS WILL BE SENT BACK, HE SAID.
+THOSE FOOLISH ENOUGH TO BELIEVE IN SUCH RUMOURS WILL ONLY END UP LOSING THEIR MONEY, AND PERHAPS THEIR LIVES.+
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