XN000022-1991-01-29 — Page 2

TUESDAY, JANUARY 29, 1991

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NEW ANTI-II LEGISLATIVE MEASURES EFFECTIVE

* * * * *

THE NEW

LEGISLATIVE MEASURES

ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION AGAINST

DESIRED EFFECT, THE DEPUTY INTRODUCED LAST NOVEMBER ARE HAVING THE SECRETARY FOR SECURITY, MR IAN STRACHAN, SAID TODAY (TUESDAY).

BY

KONG

CONSTRUCTION

ORDINANCE

SPEAKING AT A SEMINAR ON THE IMMIGRATION (AMENDMENT}

MR ASSOCIATION, 1990 ORGANISED

THE HONG

FLOW OF STRACHAN SAID THE MEASURES HAD RESULTED IN A DECREASE IN THE

WHEN THE NUMBER OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS, REVERSING THE TREND IN 1990 ARRESTS SHOT UP BY 76 PER CENT TO 28,000.

HE

ARRESTED IN DECEMBER LAST "THE NUMBER OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS YEAR CAME TO 1,735, COMPARED WITH 2,734 IN MAY AND 3,430 IN JULY," SAID.

9. 158 SINCE THE ENACTMENT OF THE NEW LEGISLATION ON NOVEMBER

HAVE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS HAVE BEEN ARRESTED ON CONSTRUCTION SITES, 166

REFERRED BEEN ARRESTED AT OTHER PLACES OF WORK, EIGHT CASES HAVE BEEN

PRINCIPAL CONTRACTOR, TWO CASES FOR PROSECUTION ACTION AGAINST THE

LEGAL ADVICE

TAKING REGARDING

PROSECUTION HAVE BEEN REFERRED FOR

45 PROSECUTION CASES HAVE AGAINST CONSTRUCTION SUB-CONTRACTORS AND BEEN TAKEN AGAINST OTHER EMPLOYERS.

"THE NEW

LEGISLATION PROVIDES

AN

EMPLOYER

WITH A DEFENCE ALL PRACTICABLE

AGAINST PROSECUTION IF HE CAN SHOW THAT HE HAD TAKEN

PERSON WAS LAWFULLY EMPLOYABLE AND STEPS TO DETERMINE WHETHER THE

THAT

WAS LAWFULLY THAT IT WAS REASONABLE EMPLOYABLE," MR STRACHAN SAID.

то

CONCLUDE

ΤΟ

PERSON THE

REMIND

AND EMPLOYERS,

THEY MEASURES

SHOULD

THOSE IN

TAKE

то

HE TOOK THE OPPORTUNITY CHARGE OF CONSTRUCTION SITES, OF THE ENSURE THAT ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS WERE NOT EMPLOYED ON THEIR PREMISES.

GUIDELINES,

WHAT

LAW WOULD BE

THAT WHILE HE ADDED

ON HE COULD ADVISE AMOUNTED TO "ALL PRACTICABLE STEPS" IN THE EYES OF THE FOR THE COURTS TO DECIDE IN EACH CASE.

WAS EMPLOY ILLEGAL ILLEGAL

PROSPECTIVE

MR STRACHAN REITERATED THAT THE PURPOSE OF THE LEGISLATION TO MAKE IT CLEAR TO EMPLOYERS THAT IT DID NOT PAY TO IMMIGRANTS, AND ALSO TO SEND A CLEAR MESSAGE TO IMMIGRANTS THAT THERE WAS NO POINT COMING TO HONG KONG WAS NO WORK AVAILABLE FOR THEM HERE.

BECAUSE THERE

ENTRY

BY

HONG OF PROTECTION FROM

THE AND

KONG

OF BUT EXPLOITATION

THE

BY

SMALL

NUMBER OF

"THIS IS IN THE INTEREST NOT ONLY IMMIGRANTS THEMSELVES, WHO DESERVE THOSE WHO ORGANISE ILLEGAL UNSCRUPULOUS EMPLOYERS," HE ADDED.

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