XN000022-1978-10-23 — Page 2

MONDAY, OCTOBER 23, 1978

DISPOSAL OF USED TRAVEL DOCUMENTS

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THE IMMIGRATION DEPARTMENT HAS ADOPTED A NEW PROCEDURE OF DISPOSING USED TRAVEL DOCUMENTS IN AN EFFORT TO CLAMP DOWN ON FORGERY.

UNDER THE NEW PROCEDURE, DIFFERENT DISPOSAL METHODS ARE USED DEPENDING ON THE TYPES OF THE TRAVEL DOCUMENTS INSTEAD OF THE FORMER STANDARD +PUNCH-AND-BURN+ PRACTICE.

+BASICALLY, ALL USED TRAVEL DOCUMENTS ARE PERFORATED WITH AT LEAST TWO HOLES BEFORE THEY ARE DECLARED INVALID, A SPOKESMAN FOR THE IMMIGRATION DEPARTMENT SAID.

+ IN THE CASE OF PASSPORT, WE ADDITIONALLY CUT THE UPPER RIGHT HAND CORNER OF THE COVER AND STAMP THE FIRST FIVE PAGES TO DENOTE ITS BEING NULL AND VOID.

+FOR RE-ENTRY PERMIT, APART FROM PERFORATING IT, WE TEAR OFF THE FIRST TWO PAGES WHICH CONTAIN THE HOLDER'S PHOTOGRAPH AND OTHER PARTICULARS BEFORE DISCARDING IT, HE SAID.

COMMENTING ON THE NEW DISPOSAL METHODS WHICH WERE INTRODUCED AT THE END OF LAST YEAR, THE SPOKESMAN SAID: +WE BELIEVE THAT USED TRAVEL DOCUMENTS, AFTER BEING SO TREATED, CANNOT BE USED IN ANY WAY FOR THE PURPOSE OF FORGERY EVEN IF THEY FALL INTO THE HANDS OF RACKETEERS WHO COUNTERFEIT TRAVEL PAPERS.+

HE ADDED THAT THE FORMER PUNCH-AND-BURN PRACTICE HAS BECOME IMPOSSIBLE DUE TO THE RAPID INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF USED TRAVEL DOCUMENTS TO BE DISPOSED OF AND THE INCREASING WORKLOAD OF THE DEPARTMENT AND THE INCINERATOR.

LAST YEAR, THE DEPARTMENT ISSUED ABOUT 700,000 TRAVEL DOCUMENTS OF VARIOUS KINDS INCLUDING HONG KONG PASSPORTS, CERTIFICATES OF IDENTITY, RE-ENTRY PERMITS, SEAMEN'S CERTIFICATES OF NATIONALITY AND IDENTITY AND SEAMAN'S IDENTITY BOOKS.

THERE WAS A CORRESPONDING INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF USED TRAVEL DOCUMENTS INCLUDING EXPIRED OR USED-UP COPIES, AND LOST AND FOUND+ DOCUMENTS WHICH CANNOT BE RETURNED TO THEIR OWNERS.

THE SPOKESMAN POINTED OUT THAT UNDER NORMAL CIRCUMSTANCES, USED TRAVEL DOCUMENTS WHICH HAVE EXPIRED OR THEIR PAGES USED UP ARE RETURNED TO THE HOLDERS ON THE ISSUE OF NEW COPIES. BUT VERY OFTEN THE HOLDERS DO NOT WANT TO TAKE AWAY THE OLD ONES.

HE SAID ABOUT TWO PER CENT OF USED PASSPORTS ARE LEFT BEHIND AT IMMIGRATION OFFICES AND AS HIGH AS 70 PER CENT IN THE CASE OF RE-ENTRY PERMITS.

+THESE TRAVEL DOCUMENTS HAVE POSED A DISPOSAL PROBLEM AND PROMPTED US TO INTRODUCE THE NEW METHODS, HE SAID.

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