XN000022-1987-04-27 — Page 8

MONDAY, APRIL 27,

1987

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ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION OF CHILDREN UNDER 14 FROM CHINA

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THE GOVERNMENT HAS NO INTENTION OF CHANGING ITS POLICY CONCERNING THE CONTROL OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION FROM CHINA AND IT WILL REPATRIATE ALL WHO MANAGED TO EVADE THE SECURITY CONTROLS AT THE BORDER AREAS.

THIS REITERATION OF GOVERNMENT POLICY WAS SPELT OUT AT A PRESS CONFERENCE TODAY (MONDAY) BY THE DIRECTOR OF IMMIGRATION, MR ALAN CARTER.

+ALL ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS WILL BE SENT BACK, REGARDLESS OF WHETHER THEY ARE CHILDREN OR ADULTS,+ MR CARTER SAID. +THOSE WHO WISH TO SETTLE IN HONG KONG SHOULD MAKE USE OF THE LEGAL CHANNELS AVAILABLE.+

UNDER PRESENT ARRANGEMENTS WITH THE CHINESE AUTHORITIES, SOME 27 000 PEOPLE ARE ALLOWED TO ENTER HONG KONG UNDER THE ONE-WAY PERMIT SCHEME FOR SETTLEMENT EACH YEAR. IN ADDITION, RESIDENTS OF CHINA CAN VISIT HONG KONG FOR SHORT PERIODS PROVIDED THEY HAVE BEEN ISSUED WITH TWO-WAY EXIT-PERMITS. THEY HAVE TO LEAVE WHEN THE PERIOD OF STAY IS UP.

REFERRING TO THE CONTINUING PHENOMENON OF CHILDREN BEING SMUGGLED INTO HONG KONG, MR CARTER SAID THAT THE AUTHORITIES ON BOTH SIDES OF THE BORDER HAD WORKED HARD TO ENSURE THAT THIS SMUGGLING WAS BROUGHT TO AN END.

ON THE QUESTION OF WHETHER ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT CHILDREN WHO MANAGED TO EVADE ARREST AT THE BORDER WOULD BE ALLOWED TO STAY, MR CARTER SAID THE GOVERNMENT'S POLICY HAD ALWAYS BEEN TO REPATRIATE THEM, ALTHOUGH THERE WERE CASES WHERE STAY WAS ALLOWED FOR HUMANITARIAN REASONS. FOR EXAMPLE IN SOME CASES WHERE THE CHILD WAS UNDER 14 AND WHERE BOTH PARENTS WERE IN HONG KONG, THE CHILD HAS BEEN ALLOWED TO STAY.

+BUT,+ MR CARTER STRESSED, WE HAVE NOW REACHED THE STAGE WHEN THE HUMANITARIAN GROUNDS FOR ALLOWING A FEW ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS TO STAY ARE BEING EXPLOITED BY CRIMINALS FOR ILLICIT MONETARY GAIN, PLACING THE LIVES OF YOUNG CHILDREN IN JEOPARDY

IN SO DOING.

+THE HUMANITARIAN GROUNDS ON WHICH A FEW HAVE BEEN ALLOWED TO STAY HAVE TO BE TIGHTENED. IN PRINCIPLE, ALL ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS, REGARDLESS OF AGE, WILL BE REPATRIATED. THOSE WHO ATTEMPT TO HAVE THEIR CHILDREN SMUGGLED IN WILL BE PUTTING THEIR CHILDREN'S LIVES AT RISK TO NO PURPOSE.

+ HOWEVER, THOSE PARENTS WHOSE CHILDREN UNDER 14 HAVE ALREADY ARRIVED ILLEGALLY BUT WHO HAVE NOT REPORTED TO THE IMMIGRATION DEPARTMENT SHOULD TAKE THEIR CHILDREN TO THE INVESTIGATION DIVISION OF THE IMMIGRATION DEPARTMENT, SIXTH FLOOR, GUARDIAN HOUSE, 32 01 KWAN ROAD, WAN CHAI, BETWEEN 9.30 AM AND 5 PM TOMORROW (TUESDAY).

/+SPECIAL ARRANGEMENTS