XN000022-1994-06-22 — Page 37

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 22, 1994

19

POLICY ON FRONTIER AREA REVIEWED

* * * * *

A REVIEW ON THE POLICY OF FRONTIER CLOSED AREA HAS RECENTLY BEEN COMPLETED AND ITS RECOMMENDATIONS ARE BEING CONSIDERED.

THIS WAS STATED BY THE SECRETARY FOR SECURITY, MR ALISTAIR ASPREY, IN A WRITTEN REPLY TO A QUESTION BY THE HON LAU WONG-FAT IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

"THE REVIEW HAS TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT THE NEED TO BALANCE INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS AND THE NEED TO COMBAT ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION,' HE NOTED.

"THE GOVERNMENT WILL BE ANNOUNCING THE RESULTS ASPREY SAID.

SHORTLY, MR

POPULATION PROJECTIONS TO BE REVISED

THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT HAS DECIDED TO REVISE THE POPULATION PROJECTIONS WHICH WAS ISSUED IN MID-1992 BY THE END OF THIS YEAR.

THIS

IS BECAUSE THERE HAS BEEN RELATIVELY SIGNIFICANT VOLATILITY IN THE MIGRATION SITUATION OVER THE LAST TWO ΤΟ THREE YEARS, THE SECRETARY FOR FINANCIAL SERVICES, MR MICHAEL CARTLAND, SAID IN A WRITTEN REPLY TO A QUESTION BY THE HON ROGER LUK IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

HOWEVER, MR CARTLAND NOTED THAT IT WAS NOT POSSIBLE ΤΟ QUOTE SOME SIMPLE FIGURES TO STATE EXACTLY HOW MANY MIGRANTS HAD COME IN AND GONE OUT DURING A PERIOD OF TIME.

UNDER THE PRESENT SYSTEM, HONG KONG TERMANENT' RESIDENTS CAN TRAVEL IN AND OUT OF HONG KONG ON THEIR IDENTITY CARDS AND OFFICIALS AT IMMIGRATION CONTROL POINTS DO NOT ASK THEM ABOUT INTENDED DURATION OF ABSENCE FROM HONG KONG WHEN THEY DEPART, OR LENGTH OF STAY WHRN THEY RETURN.

"IN FACT, THE PURPOSE OF TRIPS NEED NOT BE REVEALED AT ALL.

++

'HENCE, IF IS NOT POSSIBLE TO ESTABLISH WHICH TRAVELLER ACTUALLY AN EMIGRANT OR A RETURNING EMIGRANT, MR CARTLAND SAID.

THE TREND OF NET EMIGRATION OF HONG ESTIMATED BY THE BALANCE OF DEPARTURES STATISTICS ARE PUBLISHED.

TT

IS

KONG RESIDENTS CAN ONLY BE AGAINST ARRIVALS. SUCH

KONG RESIDENTS,

ΤΟ ASSIST THE ANALYSIS OF MIGRATION OF HONG ESTIMATES ARE ALSO MADE OF THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO EMIGRATE WITHIN DIFFERENT PERIODS IN TIME, BASED ON STATISTICS ON VISA APPLICANTS APPLICATIONS FOR CERTIFICATES OF NO CRIMINAL CONVICTION,

AND

"THE ANALYSIS OF THE MIGRATION TREND IS COMPLICATED AND VARIOUS SETS OF STATISTICS HAVE TO BE STUDIED CONCURRENTLY, HE SAID.

0

/20