MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 1990
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UPDATE OF EMIGRATION STATISTICS
THE GOVERNMENT HAS COMPLETED AN UPDATE OF PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE EMIGRATION TRENDS, A GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN SAID TODAY (MONDAY).
IT HAS CONFIRMED THAT 42,000 PEOPLE EMIGRATED FROM HONG KONG LAST YEAR. IT IS PREDICTED THAT 62,000 PEOPLE WILL EMIGRATE THIS YEAR, AND THE PROVISIONAL FORECAST FOR NEXT YEAR IS 58,000 PEOPLE.
THE SPOKESMAN EXPLAINED THAT, AS IN PREVIOUS YEARS, THE STATISTICS WERE COMPILED FROM THREE MAIN SOURCES OF DATA.
THESE ARE APPLICATIONS FOR CERTIFICATES OF NO CRIMINAL CONVICTION, VISAS ISSUED BY THE MAIN DESTINATION COUNTRIES AND IMMIGRATION DEPARTMENT RECORDS ON THE BALANCE OF MOVEMENTS OF HONG
KONG RESIDENTS.
COMMENTING ON THE FIGURE FOR THIS YEAR, THE SPOKESMAN SAID THE PROVISIONAL FORECAST MADE A YEAR AGO WAS THAT 55,000 PEOPLE WOULD EMIGRATE. IT WAS ALSO STATED AT THAT TIME THE FORECAST WAS BASED ON THE ASSUMPTION THAT THE IMMIGRATION POLICIES AND QUOTAS OF THE MAIN DESTINATION COUNTRIES REMAINED UNCHANGED.
"HOWEVER, THERE WERE TWO MAIN DEVELOPMENTS WHICH CAUSED AN UPWARD REVISION OF THE FORECAST FOR THIS CALENDAR YEAR.
"IN THE AFTERMATH OF JUNE 4. SOME COUNTRIES MADE SPECIAL EFFORTS ΤΟ DEAL WITH THE FLOOD OF APPLICATIONS WHICH ENSUED, RESULTING IN A HIGHER THAN EXPECTED NUMBER OF VISAS BEING ISSUED IN THE FIRST HALF OF THIS YEAR WHICH WILL RESULT IN AN INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE LEAVING IN THE SECOND HALF OF THIS YEAR.
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"THE SECOND FACTOR WAS A RELAXATION BY ONE COUNTRY OF ITS POINTS SYSTEM TO ACHIEVE ITS ANNUAL WORLDWIDE QUOTA OF IMMIGRANTS, THE SPOKESMAN EXPLAINED.
AND HENCE, CYCLICAL, AS AGAIN IN THE
THE SPOKESMAN ALSO SAID ANNUAL VISA ISSUE, IMMIGRATION/EMIGRATION FIGURES WERE ΤΟ AN EXTENT EVIDENCED BY THE SLIGHT DROP LAST YEAR OVER 1988, AND FORECAST FOR NEXT YEAR AS COMPARED TO THE REVISED 1990 FORECAST.
"IGNORING THESE SHORT TERM FLUCTUATIONS, IT APPEARS EMIGRATION RATE IS LEVELLING OUT AT ABOUT THE 60,000 MARK.
THE
"IT IS ALSO EXPECTED THAT THE BRITISH NATIONALITY PACKAGE AND THE INSURANCE POLICY TYPE IMMIGRATION SCHEMES INTRODUCED BY SOME COUNTRIES WILL START TO HAVE A MODERATING EFFECT ON THE EMIGRATION SITUATION TOWARDS THE END OF THE YEAR.
"THE IMPACT SHOULD START TO BE REFLECTED IN THE EMIGRATION PROFILE AND POSSIBLY ACTUAL DEPARTURE FIGURES FROM 1992 SAID.
ONWARDS," HE
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