XN000022-1985-07-16 — Page 3

TUESDAY, JULY 16, 1985

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THIS COULD CREATE A +DANGEROUS PRECEDENT+, HE SAID, WHICH COULD LEAD TO HUNDREDS OF OTHER ILLEGALLY RESIDENT WIVES PRESSING FOR SIMILAR TREATMENT.

WORSE STILL, MANY MORE HONG KONG RESIDENTS COULD BE ENCOURAGED TO BRING IN THEIR WIVES ILLEGALLY, AND INSIST ON STAYING, PARTICULARLY AFTER THEY HAD BEEN HERE FOR A FEW YEARS AND, PERHAPS, HAD CHILDREN.

+AND THERE IS THE ADDED PROBLEM, SAID THE SPOKESMAN, +OF WHAT DO YOU THEN DO ABOUT ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT WIVES OR HUSBANDS LIVING ON LAND WITH THEIR FAMILIES?+

HE WENT ON: +THERE IS NO JUSTIFICATION FOR DISCRIMINATING IN FAVOUR OF THESE BOAT SQUATTER WIVES. IT IS ESTIMATED THAT THERE MAY BE AS MANY AS 80 000 WIVES AND 100 000 CHILDREN IN CHINA WHO WOULD IMMEDIATELY QUALIFY FOR PERMISSION TO COME TO HONG KONG IF OUR CURRENT RESTRICTIONS ARE LIFTED.+

HE SAID GIVING PREFERENTIAL TREATMENT TO THE 14 WIVES WOULD +AMOUNT TO PUTTING A PREMIUM ON QUEUE-JUMPING+.

UNDER THE LEGAL ONE-WAY PERMIT SYSTEM ABOUT 8 000 WIVES A YEAR JOINED THEIR HUSBANDS IN HONG KONG IN 1983 AND 1984. IN ADDITION TO THIS ABOUT ANOTHER 8 000 CHILDREN UNDER 20 YEARS OF AGE JOINED THEIR PARENTS HERE,

THE SPOKESMAN SAID THAT THERE WAS NO TRUTH IN THE CLAIM THAT THE WIVES WOULD NOT BE ACCEPTED BY THE CHINESE AUTHORITIES ON THEIR REPATRIATION AND WOULD NOT BE ELIGIBLE FOR THE ISSUE OF ONE-WAY PERMITS.

+AS THESE BOAT SQUATTER WIVES HAVE NOT LOST THEIR CHINESE NATIONALITY, HE SAID, AND AS THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT HAVE MADE IT QUITE CLEAR THAT HOUSEHOLD REGISTRATION WOULD BE CANCELLED ONLY IN THE CASE OF THOSE ISSUED WITH ONE-WAY PERMITS, THERE ARE NO GROUNDS FOR BELIEVING THAT THEY WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO RE-ESTABLISH THEMSELVES IN CHINA.+

ALSO, THE WIVES ARE FREE TO TAKE THEIR CHILDREN WITH THEM WHEN THEY LEAVE AND MOST OF THE CHILDREN WILL NOT LOSE THE IR +HONG KONG BELONGER+ STATUS IF THEY ARE RAISED IN CHINA.

THE SPOKESMAN POINTED OUT: +IN THIS RESPECT THEY ARE NO DIFFERENT FROM OTHER ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT WIVES WHO HAVE GIVEN BIRTH TO CHILDREN AND HAVE LIVED HERE ILLEGALLY FOR THREE OR FOUR YEARS BEFORE BEING SENT BACK TO CHINA.

+IN MOST OF THESE CASES THE MOTHERS TOOK THEIR CHILDREN WITH THEM. +

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