XN000022-1987-06-22 — Page 2

MONDAY, JUNE 22, 1987

ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS WASTING THEIR TIME

ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS ARE WASTING THEIR TIME TRYING HONG KONG BECAUSE THEY WILL ALL BE SENT BACK, THE IMMIGRATION, MR ALAN CARTER, SAID TODAY (MONDAY).

TO COME ΤΟ DIRECTOR OF

HE WAS COMMENTING ON THE LATEST INFLUX OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS FROM CHINA IN WHICH MORE THAN 440 PEOPLE WERE CAUGHT TRYING ΤΟ SNEAK OVER THE BORDER INTO HONG KONG DURING THE THREE-DAY PERIOD ENDING THIS MORNING.

ALL OF THEM HAVE BEEN REPATRIATED.

"AT THE END OF THE DAY, THERE IS NOTHING TO BE GAINED BY THESE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS WHO ARE COMING, BEING CAUGHT, AND REPATRIATED," MR CARTER SAID.

"WE OBVIOUSLY WANT TO GET THE MESSAGE ACROSS TO THEM THAT ARE WASTING THEIR TIME TRYING TO GET INTO HONG KONG ILLEGALLY.

MR CARTER SAID THE

THEY

SECURITY FORCES WERE CATCHING THE VAST MAJORITY OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS AND THAT THE NUMBERS GETTING THROUGH UNDETECTED WERE SMALL.

"THIS IS BACKED UP BY THE FIGURES OF EVADERS ARRESTED OVER THE PAST FEW MONTHS," HE SAID.

THE AVERAGE WAS ABOUT 10 OR 11 A DAY, CHANGE IN THAT FOR THE LAST YEAR OR 50.

AND THERE HAS BEEN NO

ILLEGAL INNIGRANTS WERE

REPORTS THAT HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF HIDING IN HONG KONG WERE "ABSOLUTE NONSENSE", HE ADDED,

ARE CONTINUING THEIR STEPPED-UP DEAL WITH ANY INCREASE IN ILLEGAL

MEANWHILE, SECURITY FORCES PATROLS AT THE BORDER TO IMMIGRATION ACTIVITIES.

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