XN000022-1990-10-29 — Page 4

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MONDAY, OCTOBER 29, 1990

MR ASPREY SAID MEASURES TO CURB ILLEGAL BE ALL NEGATIVE IN CHARACTER.

IMMIGRATION

MUST NOT

"WE NEED ALSO TO TAKE ACCOUNT OF THE FACT THAT THE PRESENT LABOUR MARKET IN HONG KONG IS VERY TIGHT, AND THERE ARE VERY CLOSE ECONOMIC AND FAMILY LINKS BETWEEN HONG KONG AND SOUTHERN CHINA, HE SAID.

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"THERE IS A NEED FOR IMMIGRATION INTO HONG KONG, BOTH ΤΟ MEET ITS ECONOMIC NEEDS, AND TO CATER FOR FAMILY REUNION, WE AIM TO PROVIDE LEGAL AVENUES THROUGH WHICH THESE NEEDS CAN BE MET."

THESE LEGAL AVENUES INCLUDE THE QUOTA OF 75 PERSONS A DAY PERMITTED TO ENTER HONG KONG FROM CHINA ON ONE-WAY PERMITS

THIS AMOUNTS TO OVER 27,000 PERSONS A YEAR, THE OVERWHELMING MAJORITY OF WHOM ARE CLOSE FAMILY MEMBERS OF HONG KONG RESIDENTS.

FOR

MR ASPREY ALSO NOTED THAT HONG KONG PERMITTED THE ENTRY EMPLOYMENT, WITHOUT ANY NUMERICAL RESTRICTION, OF THOSE WITH PROFESSIONAL AND MANAGERIAL SKILLS WHICH WERE IN SHORT SUPPLY IN HONG

KONG.

ANOTHER LEGAL AVENUE IS THROUGH THE SCHEME WHICH THE GOVERNMENT INTRODUCED AND EXPANDED RECENTLY FOR THE IMPORTATION OF TECHNICIANS AND SKILLED AND SEMI-SKILLED LABOUR, WHICH SHOULD AMOUNT TO NEARLY 15,000 PERSONS OVER THE COMING 12 MONTHS.

"OUR IMMIGRATION POLICIES EXIST TO MEET THE ECONOMIC NEEDS OF HONG KONG, NOT TO FRUSTRATE THEM.

H

"WE REGULARLY REVIEW AND ADJUST THESE POLICIES TO ENSURE THAT THEY REMAIN CONSISTENT WITH OUR ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL OBJECTIVES, MR ASPREY SAID.

BUT THE GOVERNMENT ALSO BELIEVED STRONGLY THAT IMMIGRATION NEEDED TO BE REGULATED PROPERLY THROUGH LEGAL MEANS, AND NOT THROUGH TURNING A BLIND EYE TO ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION.

THIS WAS IN THE INTERESTS NOT ONLY OF HONG KONG BUT ALSO OF THE IMMIGRANTS THEMSELVES, WHO DESERVED PROTECTION FROM EXPLOITATION BY THOSE WHO ORGANISED ILLEGAL ENTRY AND BY THE SMALL NUMBER OF UNSURUPULOUS EMPLOYERS, MR ASPREY SAID.

SURVEY ON AIRPORT-ASSOCIATED BUSINESS

THE GOVERNMENT HAS BEGUN A SURVEY ON EXISTING INDUSTRIAL AND COMMERCIAL ACTIVITIES CLOSELY ASSOCIATED WITH THE OPERATION OF ΚΑΙ TAK AIRPORT.

THE SURVEY ALSO TRIES то ESTABLISH THE IMPACT OF RELOCATION OF THE AIRPORT ON THE OPERATION OF THEIR BUSINESS.

THE

/THE SURVEY,