XN000022-1992-11-04 — Page 10

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 1992

1,493 ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS CAUGHT ON CONSTRUCTION SITES

THE ACTING SECRETARY FOR SECURITY, MR IAN STRACHAN, TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL THAT THE POLICE ARRESTED 1,493 ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS CONSTRUCTION SITES BETWEEN NOVEMBER 1, 1990 AND SEPTEMBER 30 THIS

ON YEAR.

REPLYING TO A QUESTION BY THE HON TAM YIU-CHUNG, HE SAID THE OVERALL PERCENTAGE OF MULTIPLE EVADERS OUT OF ALL ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS ARRESTED WAS NOW MORE THAN 40 PER CENT.

"OUR DATA DOES NOT ENABLE ME, IN THE SHORTAGE

OF TIME, TO SPECIFY FURTHER HOW CLOSELY THIS PERCENTAGE IS MATCHED ON CONSTRUCTION SITES, BUT THERE IS NO REASON TO BELIEVE THAT THE RATIO IS MUCH DIFFERENT,' HE ADDED.

**

SECTION 38A OF THE IMMIGRATION ORDINANCE CREATES AN OFFENCE FOR AN ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT TO BE ON A CONSTRUCTION SITE. IT IS NOT NECESSARY TO PROVE THAT HE IS WORKING ON THE SITE.

PROSECUTIONS HAVE BEEN

IN RELATION TO THIS SECTION, 29 INSTITUTED AGAINST CONSTRUCTION SITE CONTROLLERS.

OF THESE, 13 HAVE PLEADED GUILTY; NINE HAVE BEEN CONVICTED AFTER TRIAL; FIVE SUMMONSES HAVE NOT BEEN PROCEEDED WITH; AND TWO ARE AWAITING TRIAL.

THE PENALTIES IMPOSED ON THE 22 CONVICTIONS HAVE BEEN FINES RANGING FROM $10,000 TO $125,000. THE MAXIMUM PENALTY IS $250,000.

T

CHINA RESPONSIBLE FOR ONE-WAY PERMIT QUOTA ALLOCATION * * * * *

THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ALLOCATION WITHIN ONE-WAY PERMIT QUOTA OF 75 IMMIGRANTS A DAY FROM CHINA UNDER AN AGREEMENT DATING FROM 1982.

THE

THIS WAS STATED BY THE ACTING SECRETARY FOR SECURITY, MR IAN STRACHAN, IN HIS REPLY TO A QUESTION BY THE HON HENRY TANG IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

"ANY CHANGE IN THE QUOTA WOULD NEED TO BE DISCUSSED WITH THE CHINESE AUTHORITIES BEFORE IT COULD BE IMPLEMENTED, HE SAID.

++

HE SAID THE ADMINISTRATION HAD STARTED A REVIEW ON THE EXISTING

QUOTA.

/"UNTIL THIS

Page 10Page 11