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"We are confident that we will be able to issue the new SAR passport in July 1997," he said.
In the meantime, Britain, Singapore and Western Samoa have announced publicly that SAR passport holders would enjoy the same visa-free access arrangements as BN(O) passport holders while Canada has agreed to give visa-free access to SAR passport holders in principle.
USA, Australia and New Zealand are inclined to treat the SAR passport no less favourably than the BN(O) passport. Japan has also said that it would treat the SAR passport differently from Chinese passports. No country has so far said that they would give less favourable treatment for the SAR passport than the BN(O) passport.
On the law and order situation, the Secretary pointed out that Hong Kong remained one of the safest metropolitan areas of the world, with a crime rate broadly comparable over the years to that of Singapore, and considerably lower than that in London, New York, or Tokyo.
The crime rate is also declining. During the first eight months of this year, as compared to the same period last year, Hong Kong's overall crime rate dropped by 13.7 per cent, the total number of reported crimes decreased by 11.5 per cent, and the total number of violent crimes dropped by 11.6 per cent.
On crimes committed by illegal immigrants (IIs), the situation was not as serious as some sensational reports resulting from a number of high profile cases would have it, he added.
"Indeed, in the first six months of this year, when compared to the same period last year, the number of IIs involved in robbery decreased by 8.4 per cent, those involved in burglary decreased by 13.5 per cent, and those involved in possession of offensive weapons decreased by 11.5 per cent.
"Also, the number of IIs involved in all crimes decreased from 2,519 in 1993 to 2,213 in 1995. In the first six months of 1996, the number of IIs arrested for crimes was 748, a decrease of 37 per cent when compared to the same period in 1995."
To deal with II criminals, Mr Lai said that Police had stepped up patrols in likely hiding places, and had set up a Mapping Team to comb the hillsides for II hideouts in country parks and remote areas.
The Secretary outlined a series of pro-active actions taken by the Government over the last few years in combating crime. These include:
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