XN000022-1981-05-09 — Page 2

SATURDAY, MAY 9, 1981

GOVERNMENT STEPS UP CHECKS FOR ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS

******

MORE THAN 700 PEOPLE HAVE BEEN SUMMONSED FOR FAILING TO CARRY PROPER PROOF OF IDENTITY FOLLOWING A SPECIAL TWO-DAY OPERATION BY THE POLICE AND THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT.

THE JOINT OPERATION, CARRIED OUT LAST WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY, WAS PART OF THE ONGOING TERRITORY-WIDE EFFORT BY A NUMBER OF GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS AGAINST ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION.

A GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN EMPHASISED TODAY THAT THIS EFFORT WOULD CONTINUE UNABATED.

+CONTRARY TO RUMOURS CIRCULATING IN GUANGZHOU,+ HE SAID, +THERE WILL BE NO NEW AMNESTY.

+NOR WILL ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS BE ISSUED IDENTITY CARDS, AND OF COURSE, WITHOUT IDENTITY CARDS ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS WILL NOT BE ABLE TO WORK OR SUSTAIN THEMSELVES.

+THERE IS NO QUESTION OF ANY LET UP IN OUR DETERMINATION TO DEAL WITH ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION IN THE INTEREST OF HONG KONG,+ HE ADDED.

THE SPOKESMAN RECALLED THAT THE CHIEF SECRETARY, SIR JACK CATER, RECENTLY SAID IN CLEAR AND UNMISTAKABLE TERMS THAT THE GOVERNMENT HAD NOT THE SLIGHTEST INTENTION OF CHANGING ITS IMMIGRATION POLICY, NOR OF RELAXING THE MEASURES INTRODUCED LAST OCTOBER WHEN THE SO-CALLED 'REACHED BASE' POLICY WAS SCRAPPED.

+ IN FACT, IN HIS DISCUSSIONS IN GUANGZHOU LAST MARCH, SIR JACK HAD BEEN ASSURED BY THE AUTHORITIES THERE THAT THEY WOULD CONTINUE TO TAKE STERN MEASURES TO PREVENT ILLEGAL EMIGRATION.

+FOR OUR PART IN HONG KONG WE WILL MAINTAIN OUR GUARD AND WILL CONTINUE TO MOUNT OPERATIONS, SUCH AS THE ONE A FEW DAYS AGO, AS PART OF OTHER OPERATIONS AGAINST ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION, HE SAID.

IN THE PAST WEEK, POLICE HAVE CHECKED MORE THAN 153 000 PEOPLE THROUGHOUT THE TERRITORY FOR IDENTIFICATION, WHILE LABOUR INSPECTORS MADE DAY AND NIGHT CALLS ON 4 816 INDUSTRIAL AND NON-INDUSTRIAL ESTABLISHMENTS.

A TOTAL OF 742 PERSONS ARE BEING SUMMONSED OR CHARGED FOR FAILING TO CARRY PROPER PROOF OF IDENTITY, AND 15 OTHERS HAVE BEEN REFERRED BY THE POLICE TO THE IMMIGRATION DEPARTMENT FOR FURTHER INVESTIGATION.

LABOUR INSPECTORS FOUND 21 PEOPLE IN 20 ESTABLISHMENTS WHO WERE WITHOUT PROPER PROOF OF IDENTITY. THEY TOO HAVE BEEN REFERRED TO THE IMMIGRATION DEPARTMENT FOR INVESTIGATION.

ELEVEN OTHER ESTABLISHMENTS WERE FOUND NOT TO BE KEEPING PROPER RECORDS OF THE IR EMPLOYEES AS REQUIRED UNDER THE IMMIGRATION ORDINANCE, WHILE 113 ESTABLISHMENTS COULD NOT PRODUCE ACCEPTABLE EMPLOYEE RECORDS AT THE TIME OF THE VISITS.

"THE SPOKESMAN