WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 6, 1989
IMMIGRATION ORDINANCE SAFEGUARDS EXTENDED-
DEAL
THE NECESSITY FOR THE PROVISIONS TO HELP THE GOVERNMENT WITH THE PROBLEM OF VIETNAMESE REFUGEES AND ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS FROM CHINA IS, UNFORTUNATELY, ONLY TOO CLEAR, THE SECRETARY FOR SECURITY, THE HON GEOFFREY BARNES, SAID IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).
MR BARNES WAS MOVING A MOTION UNDER THE IMMIGRATION ORDINANCE, SEEKING TO EXTEND SECTION 18(3) AND PARTS VIIA AND VIIB OF THE ORDINANCE FOR A FURTHER YEAR UNTIL DECEMBER 31, 1990.
HE EXPLAINED THAT IN THE FIRST 11 MONTHS OF THIS YEAR, A TOTAL OF 33,951 VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE HAD ARRIVED, COMPARED WITH 17,805 FOR THE CORRESPONDING PERIOD IN 1988.
HE SAID UNTIL VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE COULD BE DETERRED FROM COMING TO HONG KONG, RESETTLEMENT FOR REFUGEES STEPPED UP AND BOAT PEOPLE REPATRIATED TO VIETNAM, HONG KONG WOULD STILL NEED THE LEGISLATIVE MEASURES.
WHO WERE
CONCERNING VIETNAMESE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS
CONTINUING TO COME FROM CHINA, THE SECRETARY FOR SECURITY SAID SOME 315 WERE STILL IN HONG KONG.
"FOR SUCH PEOPLE THERE IS NO CHANCE OF RESETTLEMENT, NOR INDEED ANY OTHER BENEFIT, IN COMING TO HONG KONG. THEY WILL BE RETURNED ΤΟ CHINA AS ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS," HE SAID.
TURNING TO THE PROBLEM OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION FROM BARNES POINTED IT THAT THE CHANGE IN POLICY LAST YEAR To BEFORE REPATRIATION, ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS CAUGHT AT EMPLOYMENT HAD HELPED TO REDUCE NUMBERS.
"BUT ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION REMAINS A DELICATE SUBJECT,
CHINA, MR PROSECUTE,
PLACES OF
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HE SAID.
REGARDING
IN OCTOBER, WHEN THERE WERE SOME TEMPORARY PROBLEMS THE REPATRIATION OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS, THE NUMBER OF ARRESTS ROSE 2,208, OR A DAILY AVERAGE OF 71, MR BARNES SAID.
TO
THIS WAS THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF ARRESTS IN ANY MONTH THIS YEAR AND REPRESENTED AN INCREASE OF 57 PER CENT OVER THE NUMBER OF ARRESTS IN OCTOBER 1988.
THE SITUATION HAD NOW IMPROVED AND THE NUMBER OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS ARRESTED IN NOVEMBER HAD DROPPED ΤΟ 1,875, OR A DAILY AVERAGE OF 63.
"I NEED HARDLY SAY THAT THE GOVERNMENT WILL CONTINUE TO CONDUCT WITH THE GREATEST DETERMINATION THIS POLICY OF PREVENTING, AND DEALING FIRMLY, WITH, ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION, HE STRESSED.
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/HE POINTED