XN000022-1985-12-18 — Page 19

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MONESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 1985

+ I SHOULD POINT CUT, TO CORRECT ANY MISAPPREHENSION, THAT THERE WAS BROAD AGREEMENT IN THE LABOUR ADVISORY BOARD OVER THE MAIN FEATURES OF THE BILL, AND INDEED I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO CONGRATULATE BOTH EMPLOYERS' AND EMPLOYEES' REPRESENTATIVES ON THE IR SINCERE DETERMINATION TO REACH AN AGREEMENT ACCEPTABLE TO BOTH PARTIES.+

MR HENDERSON SAID THE OUTSTANDING ISSUES RAISED BY UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS WOULD BE CAREFULLY STUDIED WHEN THE SCHEME WAS REVIEWED IN A YEAR'S TIME.

ANTI-ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION PROVISIONS EXTENDED

* * * *

A MOTION SEEKING TO EXTEND CERTAIN PROVISIONS UNDER THE IMMIGRATION ORDINANCE PROVIDING MEASURES AGAINST ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS AND VIETNAMESE REFUGEES FOR A FURTHER YEAR UNTIL THE END OF 1986 WAS ADOPTED IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

MOVING THE MOTION, THE ATTORNEY GENERAL, THE HON MICHAEL THOMAS, SAID IN THE FIRST 11 MONTHS OF THIS YEAR,

1 034 VIETNAMESE REFUGEES REACHED HONG KONG.

+AS REGARDS ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS FROM CHINA, THERE HAS BEEN

A MARKED INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF ARRIVALS,

HE SAID IN THE FIRST 11 MONTHS OF THIS YEAR, A TOTAL OF 11 536 ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS FROM CHINA WERE ARRESTED WHILE ATTEMPTING TO ENTER HONG KONG AND A FURTHER 3 014 WHO HAD EVADED SECURITY FORCES AT THE BORDER WERE ARRESTED SUBSEQUENTLY, COMPARED WITH 8 786 BORDER ARRESTS AND 2780 EVADERS DURING THE SAME PERIOD LAST YEAR.

+ IT IS AGAINST THIS BACKGROUND THAT WE NEED TO RETAIN THE LEGISLATIVE POWERS NECESSARY TO DEAL EFFECTIVELY WITH THE PROBLEMS OF VIETNAMESE REFUGEES AND ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS, + MR THOMAS SAID.

UNDER THE PROVISIONS THAT WERE GIVEN THE EXTENSION TODAY VIETNAMESE REFUGEES WHO ARE REFUSED PERMISSION TO LAND IN HONG KONG ARE SUBJECT TO REMOVAL FROM HONG KONG BY AN IMMIGRATION OFFICER AT ANY TIME AND NOT JUST WITHIN THE TWO MONTHS THAT APPLIES TO OTHERS REFUSED PERMISSION TO LAND.

AS REGARDS ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS, THE PROVISIONS STATE THAT ANY PERSON WHO AIDS ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS TO ENTER HONG KONG

COMMITS AN OFFENCE.

SPEAKING IN SUPPORT OF THE MOTION, THE HON MARIA TAM SA ID UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL AGREED THAT THE PROVISIONS SHOULD BE EXTENDED FOR A FURTHER YEAR.

/ SHE STRESSED