XN000022-1981-02-25 — Page 33

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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 1981

I CONCLUDED MY SPEECH THIS AFTERNOON BY REFERRING TO A NUMBER OF IMPORTANT POLICY QUESTIONS WHICH MUST BE RESOLVED - AND, OF COURSE, RESOLVED IN A WAY BEST SUITED TO THE REALITIES OF OUR CIRCUMSTANCES AND TO OUR DEVELOPING AND DIVERSIFYING ECONOMY. IF THEY ARE SO RESOLVED, AND IF WE CONTINUE TO MANAGE OUR PUBLIC FINANCES PRUDENTLY AND IN SUCH A WAY AS TO ENCOURAGE, RATHER THAN DISCOURAGE. INDIVIDUAL EFFORT AND ENTERPRISE, THEN I HAVE NO DOUBT THAT THE GROWTH MOMENTUM OF OUR ECONOMY WILL BE SUSTAINED INTO THE 1980S. INDEED, THIS YEAR'S BUDGET BOTH ASSUMES THIS WILL BE THE CASE AND SEEKS TO ENSURE THAT IT WILL BE.

NO LET UP IN FIGHT AGAINST ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION

*****

THE SECRETARY FOR SECURITY, MR LEWIS DAVIES TODAY EXPRESSED +CAUTIOUS OPTIMISM+ OVER THE RESULTS OF THE NEW ANTI-ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION MEASURES BUT STRESSED THERE WOULD BE NO RELAXATION.

+ANY SUGGESTION THAT WE MIGHT BE EASING UP OR START ISSUING IDENTITY CARDS TO ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS WOULD STIMULATE A NEW INFLUX. LET ME THEREFORE BE QUITE CLEAR. THE GOVERNMENT HAS EVERY INTENTION OF MAINTAINING THIS POLICY DETERMINEDLY AND EFFECTIVELY FOR AS LONG AS THE THREAT OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION EXISTS, HE SAID.

SPEAKING AT A LUNCHEON MEETING OF ZONTA CLUB OF HONG KONG TODAY, MR DAVIES SAID THERE WOULD BE NO LET UP BECAUSE WE JUST COULD NOT AFFORD IT.

IN 1979 AND 1980 HONG KONG LIFE AS WE KNOW IT, A LIFE EVERYONE HAS WORKED HARD TO ACHIEVE, WAS BEING SERIOUSLY THREATENED, HE SAID.

+GIVEN THE INGENUITY AND RESOURCEFULNESS OF MANY WOULD-BE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS AND, EVEN MORE SO, THOSE WHO MAKE MONEY OUT OF THEM, WE SHOULD FACE THIS THREAT AGAIN UNLESS WE REMAIN VIGILANT, RESOLUTE AND EFFECTIVE.

*THAT WE SHALL DO, HE ADDED.

THE DETERRENT EFFECT OF THE MEASURES IS SHOWN BY ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT FIGURES. IN SEPTEMBER 1980, 23 000 CROSSED THE BORDER (OVER 13 000 WERE ARRESTED AND 10 000 REACHED BASE). IN NOVEMBER, DECEMBER AND JANUARY, THE TOTAL ARRESTS WERE 891, 716 AND 701 RESPECTIVELY.

ALTHOUGH THE NUMBER OF THOSE WHO EVADED ARREST IS NOT KNOWN, 268 HAVE BEEN DETECTED, OR HAVE GIVEN THEMSELVES UP, AND THOSE LYING LOW ARE LIKELY TO BE FOUND SOONER OR LATER,

CARRYING IDENTITY CARDS IS BECOMING A WAY OF LIFE, MR DAVIES ADDED, AND WHILE IT IS HOPED THIS WILL BECOME A HABIT, IN CASE IT IS NOT, THERE HAVE BEEN 7 500 WARNINGS BY THE POLICE, 4 000 SUMMONSES AND 300 CHARGES.

THE BURDEN ON EMPLOYERS OF HAVING TO KEEP RECORDS AND MAKE CHECKS HAS ALSO BEEN ACCEPTED WITH A REMARKABLE DEGREE OF GOODWILL AND SO FAR ONLY FOUR EMPLOYERS HAVE BEEN PROSECUTED.

/THE POLICE