WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 19,
, 1986
J
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EXTENSION IN IMMIGRATION ORDINANCE PROVISIONS NEEDED
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AS VIETNAMESE REFUGEES WERE STILL COMING TO HONG KONG AND ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS FROM CHINA REMAINED A PROBLEM, THERE WAS A NEED TO RETAIN PROVISIONS IN THE IMMIGRATION ORDINANCE DESIGNED TO ASSIST IN CONTROLLING THE ENTRY OF UNAUTHORISED IMMIGRANTS, THE SECRETARY FOR SECURITY, THE HON DAVID JEAFFRE SON, SAID IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).
HE WAS MOVING A MOTION WHICH SOUGHT TO EXTEND SECTION 18 (3) AND PARTS VIIA AND VIIA OF THE IMMIGRATION ORDINANCE FOR ONE YEAR UNTIL DECEMBER 31, 1987. THE PROVISIONS, IF NOT EXTENDED, WERE DUE TO EXPIRE ON DECEMBER 31 THIS YEAR.
MR JE AFFRESON EXPLAINED THAT SECTION 18(3) OF THE ORDINANCE WAS ENACTED IN JANUARY 1979 TO REMOVE THE LIMIT OF TWO MONTHS DURING WHICH AN IMMIGRATION OFFICER MIGHT REMOVE A PERSON REFUSED PERMISSION TO LAND IN HONG KONG, IF IT APPEARED TO THE DIRECTOR OF
IMMIGRATION THAT THE PERSON WAS PREVIOUSLY RESIDENT IN VIETNAM.
PARTS VILA AND VIIB OF THE ORDINANCE WERE ENACTED IN AUGUST 1979 TO PROVIDE FOR MORE EFFECTIVE CONTROL OF TRAFFICKING IN UNLAWFUL IMMIGRATION.
UNDER THESE PROVISIONS, ANY PERSON WHO AIDED ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS TO ENTER HONG KONG COMMITTED AN OFFENCE AND WERE LIABLE ON CONVICTION TO A FINE UP TO $5 MILLION AND IMPRISONMENT FOR LIFE, WHILE THE SHIPS AND OTHER PROPERTY INVOLVED WERE LIABLE TO FORFEITURE.
MR JE AFFRE SON NOTED THAT THERE HAD BEEN AN INCREASE IN ARRIVALS FROM VIETNAM THIS YEAR. IN THE FIRST NINE MONTHS OF 1986, A TOTAL OF 1920 VIETNAMESE REFUGEES ARRIVED, COMPARED WITH 952 IN THE CORRESPONDING PERIOD LAST YEAR.
+ THE REFUGEES RESETTLED IN THE FIRST NINE MONTHS NUMBERED 3 258. THE REFUGEE POPULATION AT 8 356 AT THE END OF SEPTEMBER WAS AT ITS LOWEST FOR THIS DECADE.
+ BUT THE PROSPECTS FOR NEXT YEAR AS FAR AS RESETTLEMENT IS CONCERNED ARE NOT GOOD, SO THE RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES ARE TELLING US, + MR JF AFFRESON SAID.
ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION FROM CHINA, HE ADDED, ALSO REMAINED A
PROBLEM.
FOR THE FIRST NINE MONTHS OF THIS YEAR, 11 843 ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS WERE ARRESTED WHEN ATTEMPTING TO ENTER HONG KONG, AND A FURTHER 2 623 WHO HAD EVADED SECURITY FORCES AT THE BORDER WERE ARRESTED SUBSEQUENTLY. THE FIGURES FOR THE CORRESPONDING PERIOD LAST YEAR WERE 7 841 AND 2 331 RESPECTIVELY.
HE SAID NO PARTICULAR REASON HAD BEEN IDENTIFIED FOR THE INCREASED LEVEL OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION THIS YEAR,
+ IT IS OUR BELIEF THAT NEITHER THE VIETNAMESE REFUGEE NOR THE ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION PROBLEMS WILL BE WITH US PERMANENTLY. ACCORDINGLY THE MOTION BEFORE THE COUNCIL SEEKS TO EXTEND THE SE PROVISIONS AGAIN FOR ONE MORE YEAR UNTIL DECEMBER 31, 1987 WHEN WE SHALL AGAIN REVIEW THE POSITION, HE SAID.
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