TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 1984
8
IMMIGRATION HOTLINE MEETS POPULAR DEMAND
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- NO.
THE IMMIGRATION DEPARTMENT'S TELEPHONE HOTLINE 3-7333111 FOR PUBLIC ENQUIRIES AND REQUESTS HAS PROVED INCREASINGLY POPULAR.
THE NUMBER OF ENQUIRIES HANDLED HAD GROWN STEADILY OVER THE YEARS, FROM 1.08 MILLION IN 1981 TO 1.63 MILLION IN 1983. IN THE FIRST NINE MONTHS OF THIS YEAR, 970 000 ENQUIRIES WERE RECEIVED, OVER HALF OF WHICH WERE DEALT WITH THROUGH THE HOTLINE.
+THERE WERE, OF COURSE, UNUSUAL FLUCTUATIONS SOMETIMES BECAUSE OF SPECIAL DEVELOPMENTS, + MR WONG PUI-CHI, A SENIOR IMMIGRATION OFFICER OF THE DEPARTMENT, SAID.
FOR INSTANCE, THERE WAS A RAPID INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF ENQUIRIES, BY TELEPHONE AND BY POST, IN 1982 FOLLOWING THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE BRITISH NATIONALITY ACT 1981.
+AS THIS ACT HAD WIDE IMPLICATIONS FOR THE CITIZENS OF THE UNITED KINGDOM AND COLONIES, WE RECEIVED A LOT OF ENQUIRIES THROUGH OUR HOTLINE.+
+ANOTHER MAJOR TOPIC HAS BEEN THE NEW IDENTITY CARD ISSUE SCHEME LAUNCHED IN MAY 1983. MANY CALLERS ASKED ABOUT 'WHEN', "WHERE' AND 'HOW TO GET THEIR NEW CARDS,+ MR WONG SAID.
BUT GENERALLY SPEAKING, THE WORKLOAD OF THE DEPARTMENT'S INFORMATION OFFICE HAS BEEN ON THE RISE. THE MORE COMMON TOPICS HANDLED INCLUDE EXTENSION OF STAY IN HONG KONG, PROCEDURE FOR OBTAINING TRAVEL DOCUMENTS AND VISAS, AS WELL AS BIRTH, DEATH AND MARRIAGE REGISTRATIONS.
QUESTIONS ABOUT IMMIGRATION REGULATIONS FOR PHILIPPINE DOMESTIC HELPERS AND APPLICATION FOR IDENTITY CARDS ARE ALSO COMMON.
WHEN THE DEPARTMENT MOVED TO ITS PRESENT MIRROR TOWER HEADQUARTERS IN EAST TSIM SHA TSUI IN 1982, THE INFORMATION OFFICE EXPANDED THE NUMBER OF ITS HOTLINE EXTENSIONS FROM NINE TO 12.
AS A BACKUP, THE OFFICE HAS FIVE TAPE-RECORDING SETUPS TO HANDLE TELEPHONE ENQUIRIES AFTER OFFICE HOURS.
IT ALSO PROVIDES A DIAL-A-FORM SERVICE. FORMS AND LEAFLETS ARE SENT BY POST TO PEOPLE WHO HAVE REQUESTED THEM BY PHONE.
IN ADDITION,