XN000022-1997-04-23 — Page 51

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Statistics on One-way Permit holders

Following are a question by the Hon Lau Chin Shek and a written reply by the acting Secretary for Security, Mrs Carrie Yau, in the Legislative Council today (Wednesday):

Question:

Regarding the arrival in the territory of One-way Exit Permit holders from mainland China, will the Government inform this Council:

(a)

of the following information on the One-way Exit Permit holders coming to the territory in each of the past three years;

(i)

a breakdown of the categories of their relationship with their family members/relatives in the territory;

a breakdown of the length of waiting time (by number of years) in obtaining approval of their applications;

(ii)

(iii)

a breakdown of their places of origin;

Reply:

(b)

(c)

Mr President,

of the estimated number if children of Hong Kong permanent residents, who meet the requirements under the Basic Law and have the right of abode in Hong Kong but are not yet able to come to settle in the territory; and how such an estimated number is arrived at; and

whether, according to the existing legislation, any person who has the right of abode in Hong Kong shall have the absolute right to enter and settle in the territory at any time?

Various types of information are collected from one-way permit holders for monitoring and planning purposes. The number of one-way permit holders entering Hong Kong each year is not necessarily the same as the size of the agreed quota, because one-way permit holders may not enter Hong Kong immediately after the issue of the permit. Since 1995, we have refined the breakdown of certain items of information and added new items of information to be obtained from new immigrants.