XN000022-1995-05-17 — Page 50

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It is our policy to prosecute illegal immigrants who are found at places of employment or who, in addition to having entered Hong Kong illegally, have committed other criminal offences. Against this background, the breakdown of offences committed by illegal immigrants who are now in prison is as follows -

(1)

Unlawfully remaining in Hong Kong

41%

(ii)

Other immigration offences (e.g.

35%

possession of forged ID Cards, and

using ID Cards of another person)

(iii)

Offences against Property

11%

(iv) Other offences (e.g. murder, perjury, possession of arms and ammunitions

13%

(b)

(c)

(d)

and dangerous drugs offences)

As regards the second part of the question, we do not keep separate statistics on the cost of maintaining illegal immigrants in prisons. The direct costs of maintaining the 3 300 illegal immigrants we now have in prison is, in very rough terms, about $22 million per year. This includes food, clothing, bedding, welfare and so on. It does not include staff costs because staff levels are determined with regard to certified prison accommodation and not the actual total numbers of prisoners in prison at any one time.

in We believe that for illegal immigrants whose principal purpose coming to Hong Kong is to obtain employment here, the prospect of imprisonment is an additional deterrent to repatriation to China. However, there is no scientific research on which irrefutable evidence can be adduced.

The Government will keep its overall policy towards illegal immigration under review. But, there is no plan to cease prosecuting those illegal immigrants found working in Hong Kong. Decisions on sentencing are, of course, a matter for the Courts.

End/Wednesday, May 17, 1995

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