CO885-(23-24) — Page 74

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference :-

MMC.O. 885

23 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO

DESPATCH

FROM

HIS MAJESTY'S REPRESENTATIVE AT PANAMA

IMMIGRATION

SIR,

AND OTHER PAPERS RELATING TO THE

OF CERTAIN RACES INTO THE

REPUBLIC OF PANAMA.

HIS MAJESTY'S REPRESENTATIVE at PANAMA to the FOREIGN OFFICE. (Received in Colonial Office 12th June, 1913.)

(No. 25.)

British Legation, Panama.

22nd April, 1913.

I HAVE the honour to report that the laws, No. 6 of 1904 and No. 28 of 1909, prohibiting the immigration of Chinese, Turks, and Syrians into the Republic of Panama have been repealed by the National Assembly, and, instead, Law 50 of 1913 has been enacted and approved by the Executive power, which prohibits the entry of Chinese, Turks, Syrians, and North Africans of the Turkish race.

The stringent measures adopted in the new law are intended to put a stop to the clandestine entry of these races, as notwithstanding the prohibition in force since 1904, their numbers have steadily increased, and it has been quite a lucrative business for those who have assisted to smuggle them into the country.

Masters of ships who are caught trying to introduce any individual belonging to these races will be fined five hundred balboas, and the penalty of imprisonment for each offence by persons implicated in the introduction will be from one to twelve months. In addition, any individual of the prohibited races who enters the country after this law is enforced will be condemned to labour on the public works for one year.

The immigrants of the prohibited races who entered the Republic prior to the enactment of Law 6 of 1904 can remain in the Republic subject to certain rules and regulations regarding their registration and status.

The Right Honourable

Sir Edward Grey, Bart., K.G., M.P.,

&c.,

&c.,

&c.

LAW 50 OF 1913.

(Of 24th March.)

I have, &c.,

C. MALLET.

RELATIVE TO THE IMMIGRATION AND ASSOCIATIONS OF CHINESE, TURKS, SYRIANS AND NORTH AFRICANS OF THE TURKISH RACE.

THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY OF PANAMA DECREES

Art. 1. The immigration of Chinese, Turks, Syrians, and North Africans of the Turkish race into the territory of the Republic is prohibited.

Art. 2. The masters of the ships transporting immigrants of those specified in the preceding Article who are introduced or are attempted to be introduced into the territory

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of the Republic shall pay a fine of five hundred balboas for each one of these immigrants, and shall be obliged to return them at their expense to the place of embarkation.

Art. 3. Persons found implicated in any introduction, whether effected or only attempted, of the foreigners mentioned in this law, shall incur a penalty of from one to six months' imprisonment for the first offence, and from three to twelve months' imprison- ment for every repetition of the offence.

Art. 4. The foreigners mentioned in Article 1 of this law who entered the territory of the Republic after it has come into force shall be condemned to labour on the public works for a year, and to leave the country immediately upon the expiration of their punishment.

Art. 5. The foreigners mentioned in Law 6 of 1904 who resided in the territory of the Republic prior to the enactment of that law shall have the right to remain in the country provided they own real estate, or a commercial or industrial business, or are working upon their own or another person's plantations, or if they have some other known lawful occupation; if they registered themselves at the proper time in the registers mentioned in Article 4 of said law, and if they re-register themselves at the proper time in the new registers which the Governors of the Provinces shall open for this purpose in accordance with the executive decrees regulating this law.

Art. 6. The foreigners mentioned in the preceding Article at present domiciled in the territory of the Republic who may not be able to prove by means of the corresponding certificate of registration that they resided in the country at the time of the enact- ment of Law 6 of 1904 may also remain in the country provided they own real estate, or a commercial or industrial business or are engaged in agricultural pursuits, or have some other lawful occupation, and provided also that they have themselves registered by the Governor of their Province in the special registers which shall be opened for that purpose, and declare under oath the means of which they availed themselves to enter the country clandestinely.

Art. 7. In order for the foreigners mentioned in the two preceding Articles to be inscribed in the new registers which shall be opened in accordance with this law and the executive decrees regulating its details, it is necessary that they appear personally for this purpose before the Governor; that they should prove that they fulfil all the conditions required for their residence in the territory of the Republic, and that each one of those proving by means of the respective certificate of registration to have been domiciled within the country prior to the enactment of Law 6 of 1904, shall supply four stamps of the fourth class, and each one of these who are not able to prove that fact shall supply twenty stamps of the same class.

Art. 8. The North Africans of the Turkish race now domiciled in the country shall also have the right to remain in the territory of the Republic provided they combine the same qualifications required for the other foreigners mentioned in this law; and provided also that they appear personally to register themselves, like these, before the Governor of their Province, each one of them supplying at the same time two stamps of the fourth class.

Art. 9. The stamps provided by the foreigners dealt with by this law shall be uffixed to their registration certificates and cancelled by the autograph signatures of the Governor issuing such documents and of his Secretary and the District Attorney.

Art. 10. The foreigners, treated of in Law 6 of 1904 who, at any time and for any reason, shall exhibit as their own old or new registration certificates issued in favour of another person will be punished by a fine of one hundred balboas and expelled from the country if they do not register themselves in accordance with Article 6 hereof as immigrants who have come into the country after the enactment of said Law 6.

Art. 11. The foreigners mentioned in Article 1 hereof who cannot prove that they are qualified to reside in the territory of the Republic shall be expelled at the expiration of the term which the Executive shall fix for the new registration mentioned, on a formal notification which shall be made to them to emigrate under the penalty of being condemned to labour on the public works for a period of six months before their forcible expulsion is carried out.

Art. 12. The foreigners treated of in this law who shall register themselves in the new registers referred to may go abroad for up to two years if they have provided themselves with a proper passport issued in accordance with the formalities which the Executive shall prescribe. At the end of this period, which cannot be extended, they shall not be allowed again to enter the country, and they shall be subject to the same restrictions as are established for those coming to the country for the first time.

Art. 13. The foreigners treated of in this law who come into the territory of the Republic in transit to other countries shall be subject to the provisions made for them by

(80901-2.) Wt 14739-761, 40 & 60. 10/19, D & S.

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