TUESDAY, MARCH 24, 1987
1
NO AMNESTY FOR ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS
*****
THERE WILL BE NO AMNESTY FOR ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS AND THE GOVERNMENT WILL CONTINUE ITS EFFORTS TO COMBAT ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION IN THE MONTHS TO COME, THE SECRETARY FOR SECURITY, MR DAVID JEAFFRESON, SAID TODAY (TUESDAY).
MR JEAFFRESON NOTED THAT WITH THE ARRIVAL OF THE NEW GOVERNOR, SIR DAVID WILSON, SNAKE-HEADS AND OTHERS WHO SOUGHT TO EXPLOIT THOSE WHO ATTEMPTED TO ENTER HONG KONG ILLEGALLY WERE LIKELY TO START SPREADING RUMOURS OF AN AMNESTY. HE CATEGORICALLY DISPELLED SUCH RUMOURS.
+
SPEAKING AFTER A VISIT TO THE BORDER, MR JEAFFRESON SAID THE TECHNOLOGY USED TO DETECT ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS ON THE BORDER.
HAD ENSURED THAT COUPLED WITH VIGILANCE OF THE SECURITY FORCES, MOST ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS WERE CAUGHT ACTUALLY ON THE BORDER AND SENT BACK ALMOST IMMEDIATELY.
+ THE FEW WHO GET THROUGH WILL NOT BE ABLE TO OBTAIN IDENTITY CARDS. THEY WILL BE CAUGHT BY POLICE OR THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT DURING THEIR ANTI-ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT OPERATIONS AND WILL ALSO BE SENT BACK, HE SAID.
+WITH THE IMMIGRATION DEPARTMENT ISSUING A NEW TYPE OF IDENTITY CARD LATER THIS YEAR, IT WILL BECOME EVEN EASIER TO DETECT THE FEW ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS WHO HAVE MANAGED TO SLIP THROUGH THE BORDER NET.
+THIS NEW CARD IS A VERY MUCH MORE COMPLICATED LOOKING ONE. IT HAS BEEN VERY CLEVERLY DESIGNED AND IS VIRTUALLY IMPOSSIBLE TO FORGE EFFECTIVELY,+ HE ADDED.
MR JEAFFRESON SAID THAT IN THE FIRST TWO MONTHS OF THIS YEAR THERE HAD BEEN AN INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS ARRESTED ON THE BORDER, A TREND WHICH HAD CONTINUED INTO MARCH. THIS WAS PROBABLY BECAUSE OF THE WARM WEATHER.
+ALTHOUGH IT IS TRUE THAT MORE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS SEEM TO
BE TRYING TO ENTER HONG KONG, IT IS ALSO TRUE THAT WITH THE AID OF THE TECHNIQUES NOW AVAILABLE TO HELP TO FIGHT ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION, A HIGHER PROPORTION OF THOSE TRYING TO ENTER ARE NOW BEING CAUGHT HERE AT THE BORDER, HE SAID.
MR JEAFFRESON SAID THIS RECENT INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF ARRESTS HAD MADE THE SECURITY FORCES EVEN MORE WATCHFUL ON THE LAND AND SEA BORDERS.
+THE GOVERNMENT IS CAREFULLY MONITORING THE FIGURES FOR ILLEGAL CROSSERS AND NEW WAYS TO INCREASE THE ALREADY HIGH RATE OF ARREST ARE UNDER DISCUSSION AMONG THE POLICE, THE ARMY AND THE SECURITY BRANCH.+
HE ADDED THAT BORDER LIAISON GROUPS MET REGULARLY AND MUTUAL WAYS WERE WORKED OUT TO SOLVE PROBLEMS.
+ HAVE NO DOUBT THAT, IN THE FUTURE, THE SMALL NUMBER OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS WHO MANAGE TO SUCCEED IN CROSSING THE BORDER WILL BE REDUCED EVEN FURTHER, HE SAID.
/2