XN000022-1979-08-27 — Page 4

MONDAY, AUGUST 27, 1979

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EXCITEMENT AND PROSPECTS IN IMMIGRATION WORK

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AN INTERESTING CAREER AWAY FROM DESK WORK AND GOOD PROMOTION PROSPECTS LURED LEUNG MING-YIN TO JOIN THE IMMIGRATION DEPARTMENT 14 YEARS AGO, AND HE HAS, SINCE THEN, NEVER REGRETTED IT.

FOR THROUGHOUT THESE YEARS AS AN IMMIGRATION OFFICER, MR. LEUNG HAS HAD HIS EXPERIENCE ENRICHED AND OUTLOOK WIDENED - MUCH TO HIS SATISFACTION AND TO THE ADMIRATION OF OTHER YOUNG MEN.

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HE STARTED OFF AS A SUB-INSPECTOR IN 1965 — LATER RE-TITLED ASSISTANT IMMIGRATION OFFICER. THROUGH HARD WORK AND EXPANSION OF THE IMMIGRATION SERVICE, HE MOVED UP THE PROMOTION LADDER AND IS NOW THE ACTING ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL IMMIGRATION OFFICER IN CHARGE OF THE AIRPORT SECTION.

DURING HIS CAREER, HE HAS WORKED IN THE DEPARTMENT'S DOCUMENTS, CONTROL AND INVESTIGATION DIVISIONS, ENABLING HIM TO GRASP THE VARIOUS ASPECTS OF IMMIGRATION WORK.

HE WAS ALSO RESPONSIBLE FOR SETTING UP THE OPERATIONAL RESEARCH SECTION OF THE INVESTIGATION DIVISION IN 1975 FOR THE COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS OF INFORMATION CONCERNING LOOPHOLES IN IMMIGRATION LAWS AND CIRCUMVENTION OF IMMIGRATION PROCEDURES.

IN 1976, MR, LEUNG WAS ONE OF THE IMMIGRATION OFFICERS SENT TO THE UNITED KINGDOM FOR A THREE-AND-HALF MONTH IMMIGRATION AND MANAGEMENT COURSE, INCLUDING ATTACHMENTS TO THE UK IMMIGRATION SERVICE, THE HOME OFFICE AND THE FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE.

MR. LEUNG ALSO HAS HAD HIS EXPERIENCE BROADENED BY ATTENDING THE DEPARTMENT'S IN-SERVICE COURSES ON PROSECUTION WORK, TELE-COMMUNICATION, DETECTIVE TRAINING AS WELL AS A LANGUAGE COURSE IN FRENCH.

+ IMMIGRATION SERVICE PERHAPS OFFERS ONE OF THE MOST EXCITING AND YET INTERESTING JOBS IN THE WORLD, SAID MR. LEUNG, NOW SUPERVISING MORE THAN 300 STAFF AT HONG KONG'S BIGGEST IMMIGRATION CONTROL POINT.

+GONE ARE THE DAYS WHEN IMMIGRATION WORK WAS CONSIDERED AS A JOB MERELY FOR STAMPING TRAVEL DOCUMENTS.

+WITH THE GROWTH OF INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL, IMMIGRATION WORK HAS BECOME MORE DEMANDING.

+FOR EXAMPLE, MY STAFF AT THE AIRPORT HAVE TO WORK UNDER PRESSURE IN CLEARING A LARGE NUMBER OF PASSENGERS PASSING THROUGH THE IMMIGRATION CHECKPOINT EACH DAY.

+THEY HAVE TO BE ON CONSTANT ALERT SO AS NOT TO ALLOW THE UNDESIRABLES TO SNEAK INTO HONG KONG YET THEY HAVE TO BE POLITE AND FAST IN CLEARING THE PASSENGERS, MR. LEUNG SAID.

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