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SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 1986
DURING THE PAST FIVE YEARS, THE DEPARTMENT HAD REGISTERED AN AVERAGE OF 81 000 BIRTHS, 49 000 MARRIAGES AND 26 000 DEATHS.
MR LEE SAID THAT IN THE 25 YEARS THE DEPARTMENT HAD BEEN CONFRONTED WITH THE VARIOUS CHALLENGES OF A CHANGING WORLD.
+ IN 1975, WHEN THE NORTH VIETNAMESE OVERRAN SAIGON, IT TRIGGERED OFF A MASS EXODUS WHICH OUR DEPARTMENT SUDDENLY HAD TO FACE. IT WAS TREMENDOUS WORK, BUT WE FACED UP TO IT VERY WELL.+
+ IN MAY OF THAT YEAR, THE CLARA MAERSK BROUGHT IN 3 743 REFUGEES, MANY WITH DISEASES CONTRACTED DURING THE LONG JOURNEY BY SEA. WE HAD TO PROCESS THEM IMMEDIATELY, RUNNING THE RISK OF BEING INFECTED.+
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THE CLARA MAERSK WAS THE FIRST OF MANY SHIPS THAT BROUGHT THE REFUGEE PROBLEM TO THE DEPARTMENT, TO HONG KONG AND THE ATTENTION OF THE WORLD, BETWEEN 1975 AND 1985, OVER 110 000 REFUGEES ESCAPED TO HONG KONG WATERS IN ABOUT 2 100 SHIPS AND BOATS.
THE INFLUX OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS FROM CHINA WAS YET ANOTHER SERIOUS HURDLE THAT THE DEPARTMENT HAD TO TACKLE.
THE NUMBER OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS FROM CHINA, WHICH HAD REMAINED RELATIVELY LOW SINCE THE EARLY 60'S INCREASED DRAMATICALLY FROM 1970.
BETWEEN 1970 AND 1974, A TOTAL OF 79 083 ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS APPLIED FOR IDENTITY CARDS.
TO STEM THE FLOW OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS, AGREEMENT WAS REACHED WITH CHIVA TO REPATRIATE ALL ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS ARRESTED IN THE BORDER AREA WITH EFFECT FROM NOVEMBER 30, 1974.
THERE FOLLOWED A LULL IN THE INFLUX UNTIL THE END OF THE DECADE WHEN CHINA'S MODERNISATION GAVE MANY PEOPLE THE CHANCE TO COME IN CONTACT WITH THE OUTSIDE WORLD. IT WAS QUITE NATURAL THAT THEY TURNED TO HONG KONG, THE NEAREST ATTRACTION.
ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION ESCALATED ONCE AGAIN.
A TOTAL OF 183 240 APPLICATIONS FOR IDENTITY CARDS FROM CHINESE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS WERE RECORDED BETWEEN 1978 AND 1980.
THIS UNDOUBTEDLY UPSET ANY PLANS FOR THE FUTURE IN HONG KONG. THE GOVERNMENT THEREFORE ABOLISHED THE TOUCH-BASE POLICY ON OCTOBER 24, 1980. NO ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT FROM CHINA WAS TO BE ALLOWED TO REMAIN IN HONG KONG AFTER THAT DATE.
THOSE ALREADY