XN000022-1985-07-10 — Page 4

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AY, JULY 10, 1985

+ IF THESE 14 WIVES WERE ALLOWED TO STAY, TYPHOON SHELTERS INSTEAD OF BEING PLACES WHERE LEGITIMATE WORKING BOATS CAN

THESE SHELTER IN EMERGENCIES, OR WHEN THEY ARE NOT WORKING TYPHOON SHELTERS WILL BECOME A BOAT SQUATTERS' PARADISE AS A LOOPHOLE FOR GETTING WIVES ILLEGALLY INTO HONG KONG.

—

+THAT THE HUSBANDS OF SOME OF THESE WIVES MAY ONCE HAVE BEEN FISHERMEN IS IRRELEVANT.

+THE FACT THAT WHEN SOME OF THEIR HUSBANDS WERE FISHERMEN. THEY WERE ALLOWED TO STAY ON BOARD THE IR VESSELS CERTAINLY DOES NOT LEAD TO AN ARGUMENT THAT WHEN THEIR HUSBANDS CEASE TO BE FISHERMEN, THE WIVES SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO LAND, HE SAID.

IN REPLY TO ANOTHER SUPPLEMENTARY QUESTION OVER THE CHILDREN OF THESE +BOAT BRIDES+, MR JE AFFRESON POINTED OUT THAT PROVIDED THAT THEIR HUSBANDS WERE HONG KONG RESIDENTS, AND PROVIDED THE CHILDREN WERE BORN IN HONG KONG -- WHICH MEANT IN HONG KONG

THE IR RIGHT TO LAND IN WATERS AS WELL AS ON HONG KONG LAND

FACT THAT THE IR MOTHERS

HONG KONG WOULD NOT BE AFFECTED BY THE HAVE RETURNED TO CHINA.

+THEY MAY REMAIN IN HONG KONG, OR IF THEIR MOTHERS CHOOSE TO TAKE THEM WITH THEM TO CHINA, THEY WOULD NOT LOSE THEIR RIGHT TO LAND AND THE IMMIGRATION DEPARTMENT WOULD ASSIST THE CHILDREN IN GETTING THEM TO THE BORDER, HE SAID.

HE ADDED THAT AS FAR AS HE COULD RECALL FROM THE RECORDS THAT HE HAD SEEN, NONE OF THESE CHILDREN WAS YET OF SCHOOL AGE.

IN REPLY TO ANOTHER QUESTION. MR JEAFFRESON SAID IT WAS NOT TRUE THAT THESE 14 +BOAT BRIDES+ COULD NOT BE ACCEPTED BACK IN THE IR COMMUNITIES IN CHINA BECAUSE THEIR HOUSEHOLD REGISTRATION HAD BEEN CANCELLED.

+THE AGREEMENT BETWEEN HONG KONG AND CHINA IS THAT ONLY THOSE HOLDING ONE-WAY PERMITS CAN BE CONSIDERED FOR SETTLEMENT IN HONG KONG.

+THERE IS NO REASON TO BELIEVE THAT THOSE NOT HOLDING ONE-WAY PERMITS WILL HAVE THEIR HOUSEHOLD REGISTRATION IN CHINA CANCELLED.

+EVEN IF SOME MAY HAVE DELIBERATELY CANCELLED THEIR OWN REGISTRATION IN CHINA, THERE SHOULD BE NO PROBLEM FOR THEM TO RE-REGISTER WHEN THEY RETURN TO CHINA.+

HE ADDED THAT CHINA HAD BEEN ACCEPTING BACK ILLEGAL

IMMIGRANTS FOR YEARS AND THAT SIX BOAT-DWELLING ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT WIVES HAD BEEN REPATRIATED EARLIER THIS YEAR.

+THERE IS NO EVIDENCE WHATSOEVER THAT THEY WERE NOT ACCEPTED BACK IN THE PLACE FROM WHICH THEY CAME, HE SAID.

/REPLYING TO