XN000022-1990-10-17 — Page 5

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 17, 1990

3

"THIS IS TO BE WELCOMED.

EMPLOY

PERSONS

WHO

ARE

LEGALLY

"CONSTRUCTION SITE CONTROLLERS WILL HAVE TO ENSURE THAT BOTH AND THEIR SUB-CONTRACTORS EMPLOYABLE," HE ADDED.

THEY

SINCE THE PUBLICATION OF THE BILL, MR ASPREY SAID CONCERN

WHETHER DOMESTIC EXPRESSED

PREMISES WERE

IN INCLUDED DEFINITION OF A "CONSTRUCTION SITE".

BEEN

HAD

THE

MOVE AT THE COMMITTEE STAGE OF THE BILL, MR ASPREY PROPOSED TO

OF THE AN AMENDMENT TO SECTION 38A

ORDINANCE TO EXEMPT FROM THE DEFINITION OF "CONSTRUCTION WORK"

RENOVATION, REDECORATION, ALTERATION, MAINTENANCE OR REPAIR IN INDIVIDUAL DOMESTIC PREMISES.

THE

REMAINING

HE ADDED THAT THERE WAS ONE ADDITIONAL MEASURE PROPOSED IN BILL: CLAUSE 3 INCREASED THE MAXIMUM FINE FOR LANDING AND WITHOUT PERMISSION FROM $5,000 TO $10,000.

NOW TIME

"THE PRESENT LEVEL OF FINE WAS SET IN 1980 AND IT IS TO CHANGE IT TO BE MORE IN LINE WITH TODAY'S VALUES, MR ASPREY SAID.

FI

ON THE BACKGROUND TO THE AMENDMENT TO THE BILL, MR ASPREY ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION HAD FOR MANY YEARS BEEN A SERIOUS PROBLEM.

SAID

SINCE

IN NOVEMBER 1980 THE TOUCH BASE' POLICY WAS ENDED, AND THEN ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS ARRESTED IN HONG KONG HAD BEEN REPATRIATED,

RESULT WAS A VERY SUBSTANTIAL DROP ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS ENTERING HONG KONG, HE SAID.

"THE

THE IN

NUMBER OF

HOWEVER,

IN THE MID-1980S, THE NUMBERS BEGAN TO INCREASE

ONCE

AGAIN,

IN 1987, OVER 26,700 ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS WERE ARRESTED.

THIS CAUSED THE GOVERNMENT TO REVIEW ITS POLICIES ONCE MORE, MR ASPREY EXPLAINED.

"IN MAY 1988, WE STARTED TO PROSECUTE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS

ARRESTED IN HONG KONG. IF CONVICTED, THEY SENTENCE BEFORE REPATRIATION.

HAD HAVE

TO SERVE THEIR

CONVICTED

"IN JULY 1988 THE COURT OF APPEAL LAID DOWN A SENTENCING GUIDELINE OF 15 MONTHS IMPRISONMENT FOR ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS OF REMAINING ILLEGALLY IN HONG KONG, HE ADDED.

"

MR

ASPREY

POINTED OUT DETERRENT EFFECT. IMMEDIATE ARRESTED DROPPED SUBSTANTIALLY.

THAT PROSECUTION THE NUMBERS OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS

HAD A

MARKED

AND

"HOWEVER, THIS DETERRENT EFFECT HAS NOT LASTED.

BEEN

"IN THE FIRST NINE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS HAVE ARE REQUIRED," HE SAID.

MONTHS OF THIS YEAR, NEARLY 21, 500 ARRESTED. CLEARLY FURTHER MEASURES

/MR ASPREY