XN000022-1988-05-11 — Page 39

WEDNESDAY, MAY 11, 1988

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MEDIA REPRESENTATIVES WISHING TO COVER THE EVENT ARE REQUESTED TO ASSFMBLE AT 9.15 AM AT THE GROUND FLOOR LOBBY OF GOVERNMENT OFFICES LOWER ALBERT ROAD,

* REMOVAL OF THE CONFIDENTIAL SUBMISSISONS.

WHERE THEY WILL

THE CENTRAL WITNESS THE

A COACH WILL THEN TAKE THEM TO THE KENNEDY TOWN INCINERATOR TO COVER THE BURNING OF THE SUBMISSIONS.

II'S CAUGHT AT CONSTRUCTION SITES MAY BE PROSECUTED

ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS CAUGHT AT PROSECUTED FOR ILLEGALLY REMAINING IN CARRIES A MAXIMUM SENTENCE OF THREE SPOKESMAN SAID TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

CONSTRUCTION SITES MAY NOW BE HONG KONG, AN OFFENCE WHICH YEARS' IMPRISONMENT, A POLICE

THE SPOKESMAN POINTED OUT THAT THE PROBLEM OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS WORKING AT CONSTRUCTION SITES HAD BECOME MORE SERIOUS OVER THE PAST FOUR MONTHS.

LAST YEAR, A TOTAL OF 26,701 ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS WERE ARRESTED IN THE TERRITORY, OF WHICH OVER 1,100 WERE CAUGHT AT CONSTRUCTION SITES.

BUT OVER THE FIRST FOUR MONTHS OF THIS YEAR, MORE THAN NINE PER CENT OF THE TOTAL ARRESTS (7,869) WERE MADE AT CONSTRUCTION SITES.

IN TWO SEPARATE OPERATIONS RECENTLY, 67 ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS WERE FOUND WORKING AT CONSTRUCTION SITES IN TAI PO AND ΤΑΙ TAM.

IN VIEW OF THE GROWING PROBLEM, THE SPOKESMAN SAID POLICE WOULD CONSIDER TAKING OUT PROSECUTION AGAINST THE ILLEGAL ENTRANTS UNDER THE IMMIGRATION ORDINANCE, BEFORE REPATRIATING THEM BACK ΤΟ CHINA.

PERSONS CONVICTED FOR REMAINING IN THE TERRITORY WITHOUT THE AUTHORITY OF THE DIRECTOR OF IMMIGRATION ARE LIABLE TO A FINE OF $5,000 AND TO IMPRISONMENT FOR THREE YEARS.

THE SPOKESMAN SAID IT HAD BEEN POLICE POLICY TO CHARGE EVADERS WHO HAD ENTERED HONG KONG MORE THAN ONCE FOR THE OFFENCE OF "ILLEGALLY REMAINING" AND IT WAS HOPED THAT EXTENDING THE PROSECUTION TO COVER ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS WORKING AT CONSTRUCTION SITES WOULD ACT AS A DETERRENT TO ANY POTENTIAL ENTRANTS.

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