"make a public statement in the matter until the necessary
amending bill was ready for presentation to this Council in a fortnight's time. However spcculation on Government's intentions has appeared in press, and inevitably in the absence of an authoritative statement Government's intentions may be
In these exaggerated or their motives misunderstood. circumstances I have agreed with my colleague, the Honourable Y. K. Kan, 'that it would be appropriate for me to make a statement today. In answering the question to which I have already referred I said that the majority of Commonwealth countries require a visa or other equivalent document to cover entry for the purpose of residence or employment. It is now the view of this Government that the time has come for Hong Kong to follow their example. One of the principal reasons why other countries have introduced controls and restrictions on immigration is to limit the entry of unskilled workers who have nothing to contribute to the economy and who may become a charge on the public revenues. The fact is that there has been in recent months a substantial build up of unskilled workers from the Commonwealth who are apparently prepared to work for very low wages, and in so far as they depreciate the standard of living of our own workers, make a négative rather than a positive contribution to our well-being.
"It is proposed therefore that from a date still to be fixed but which I will announce as soon as possible, immigrants from other Commonwealth countries and dependent territories will require a visa for entry into Hong Kong for the purposes of employment or residence.
"It is the intention that the criteria to be used in deciding whether or no a given person would obtain a visa on first entry will be the same criteria as are at present applied
to aliens.
"Persons who possess some special skill or knowledge valuable to Hong Kong will of course be allowed entry and the importance of encouraging local investment will be kept very much in mind. There is no intention of keeping out anyone
who has a contribution to make to the Colony's economy.
/ The
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