Reply:
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
Mr President,
· 26 -
the Government plays a role in the assessment and approval of applications by Chinese resident for settlement in Hong Kong; if not, whether negotiation will be held with the Chinese authority with a view to obtaining the Chinese side's agreement to the involvement of the Government in the assessment and approval process;
the Government is aware of the criteria adopted by the Chinese authority in assessing the eligibility of Chinese residents for settlement in Hong Kong and in determining the priority for granting approval to such applications;
the Government will put forward suggestions to the Chinese authority regarding the criteria for assessing and approving applications for one- way permits; and
the Government is in a position to vet the eligibility of individual Chinese resident holding one-way permits issued by the Chinese authority, so as to determine whether such persons should be permitted to enter the territory or to request the Chinese authority to re-assess the applications, of such persons for one-way permits?
The answer to the four parts in this question is as follows:
(a)
(b)
One-way permits are issued by the Chinese Government to Chinese citizens who have been approved to settle in Hong Kong. The Hong Kong Government's current involvement is confined to discussion and agreeing with the Chinese Government on the quota and sub-quotas, and playing a role in assessing whether children applicants born in China will have the right of abode in Hong Kong under Basic Law Article 24(2)(3) after 1997 (eligible children). The Chinese authorities provide the Immigration Department with details of those applying as eligible children and those of their parents for verification. We have no plan to change the present mode of operation.
Details of the eligibility criteria for applying to settle in Hong Kong are set out in published Chinese Law. We understand that most one-way permits are issued to nuclear family members (parents, spouses and children) of Hong Kong residents to facilitate their reunion in Hong Kong.