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WED SDAY, JULY 10, 1985
REPLYING TO ANOTHER QUESTION, MR JEAFFRESON SAID AS FAR AS THE IMMIGRATION DEPARTMENT WAS AWARE, THERE WERE ABOUT 840 GENUINE FISHERMEN'S WIVES WHO WERE ALLOWED INTO HONG KONG WATERS AND TO REMAIN ON THE IR BOATS WHILE THEY WERE HERE.
+THESE 840 ARE THE WIVES OF GENUINE FISHERMEN, THAT IS, PEOPLE WHO LIVE ON BOATS AND GO OUT AND FISH REGULARLY.
+WE HAVE NO INDICATION WHATSOEVER THAT ANY OF THEIR HUSBANDS ARE TURNING TOWARDS OTHER JOBS AND WE HAVE HAD NO REPRESENTATIONS FROM THEM TO BE ALLOWED TO LAND IN HONG KONG, HE SAID.
EARLIER, MR JE AFFRESON TOLD THE COUNCIL THAT FOR SOME YEARS, IT HAD BEEN THE GOVERNMENT'S PRACTICE TO MAKE AN EXCEPTION TO THE GENERAL RULE IN RESPECT OF FISHERMEN'S WIVES.
+THE GENERAL RULE IS THAT WIVES FROM CHINA WISHING TO JOIN THE IR HUSBANDS IN HONG KONG PERMANENTLY MUST COME TO HONG KONG BY MEANS OF THE ONE-WAY PERMIT SYSTEM.
+BUT BECAUSE OF THE NATURE OF FISHERMEN'S WORK, WE ALLOW THEIR WIVES TO ENTER HONG KONG IN THEIR BOATS FOR FISHING ACTIVITIES OUTSIDE THE PERMITTED SYSTEM PROVIDED THAT THE WIVES ARE INCLUDED IN A CHINESE MOBILE FISHERMEN'S CENSUS RECORD, HOLD VALID CHINESE FISHERMEN'S IDENTITY CARDS, AND PROVIDED THEY STAY ON THE BOATS AND LEAVE WHEN THE BOATS LEAVE.+
HE SAID THE GOVERNMENT HAD TOLD 14 ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT WIVES FROM CHINA WHO HAD BEEN FOUND LIVING ON DWELLING BOATS IN THE YAU MA TEI TYPHOON SHELTER THAT THEY MUST RETURN TO CHINA.
+THEY ARE NOT FISHERMEN'S WIVES. THEY ARE RECENTLY ARRIVED ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS, HE SAID.
ACCORD REACHED ON +PRIVILEGES, IMMUNITIES+
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IT HAS BEEN AGREED THAT THE CHINESE EXPERTS AND SUPPORTING STAFF, AS WELL AS THE CHINESE MEMBERS OF THE JOINT LIAISON GROUP WILL ENJOY APPROPRIATE PRIVILEGES AND IMMUNITIES WHEN THEY GO TO LONDON FOR THE MEETINGS OF THE JOINT LIAISON GROUP, THE FIRST OF WHICH WILL TAKE PLACE LATER THIS MONTH, THE ATTORNEY GENERAL, THE HON MICHAEL THOMAS, SAID TODAY.
SIMILARLY, EXPERTS AND SUPPORTING STAFF ON THE BRITISH SIDE, INCLUDING THOSE FROM HONG KONG, WILL ENJOY PRIVILEGES AND IMMUNITIES WHEN THEY GO TO PEKING FOR MEETINGS OF THE JOINT LIAISON GROUP HELD THERE.
MR THOMAS WAS MOVING THE SECOND READING OF THE PRIVILEGES AND IMMUNITIES (JOINT LIAISON GROUP) (AMENDMENT) BILL 1985 IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY,
/HE R.CALLED