XN000022-1986-11-05 — Page 37

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 1986

35

ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS FLOW EFFECTIVELY STEMMED

*****

CONTINUED VIGILANCE ON THE BORDER AND AN EFFECTIVE IDENTITY CARD SYSTEM WOULD DETER THE FLOW OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS FROM CHINA,

THIS WAS STATED BY THE SECRETARY FOR SECURITY, MR DAVID

JE AFFRESON, TODAY (WEDNESDAY) WHEN HE VISITED MEMBERS OF THE ROYAL HONG KONG REGIMENT (THE VOLUNTEERS) PERFORMING ANTI-11 DUTIES AT THE BORDER.

SPEAKING TO REPORTERS DURING THE VISIT, MR JE AFFRESON SAID +THE SOLUTION IS GOOD BORDER PATROL, AND OF COURSE, CRUCIAL, THE IDENTITY CARD SYSTEM.

+50 PEOPLE WHO HAVE THE RIGHT TO LIVE IN HONG KONG ARE EASILY RECOGNISABLE BY THE FACT THAT THEY HAVE AN ID CARD, AND THOSE HAVEN'T GOT THE RIGHT TO LIVE IN HONG KONG HAVE NOT GOT A CARD SO THEY TOO CAN READILY BE IDENTIFIED.

+IN THE END, ALL THESE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS WILL BE FOUND OUT AND WILL BE RETURNED TO CHINA. SO THEY ARE HIDING FOR NOTHING.+

HE ALSO POINTED OUT THAT THE POLICE WERE CARRYING OUT REGULAR IDENTITY CARD CHECKS AND NO ONE WAS ALLOWED TO EMPLOY A PERSON WITHOUT AN IDENTITY CARD.

+SO THESE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS ARE GOING TO BE FOUND OUT SOONER OR LATER, HE SAID.

MR JE AFFRE SON PRAISED THE HONG KONG REGIMENT FOR THEIR PERFORMANCE IN ANTI-II OPERATIONS, SAYING THAT THEY WERE +DOING VERY WELL.

ASKED IF THE REGIMENT WERE DOING JUST AS GOOD AS THE REGULAR TROOPS. MR JEAFFRESON SAID: THEY COULD EVEN DO BETTER BECAUSE THEY KNOW THE COUNTRY, THEY KNOW THE LANGUAGE. LEAST WHEN SOME OF THE ILLEGALS COME OVER THEY PROBABLY SPOT AN ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT MORE READILY THAN THE BRITISH GARRISON SOLDIERS, MOST OF THEM ARE NOT FROM HONG KONG AT ALL.+

MEMBERS OF THE REGIMENT ARE CARRYING OUT ANTI-ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT OPERATIONS ON THE BORDER DURING THEIR ANNUAL CAMP FROM THE FIRST TO THE NINTH OF THIS MONTH.

/36