TNAG-0984-FCO40-1203-Immigration-from-China-to-Hong-Kong-1980 — Page 72

*DESPITE STRENUOUS EFFORTS BY THE SECURITY FORCES, AN ESTIMATED 68,000 PERSONS ENTERED HONG KONG ILLEGALLY FROM CHINA SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR AND HAVE REMAINED HERE. THIS WAS

ON TOP OF THE ESTIMATED 110,000 WHO CAME IN AND STAYED LAST YEAR.'

'HONG KONG SIMPLY CANNOT GO ON ABSORBING SUCH HUGE NUMBERS OF PEOPLE WITHOUT SERIOUSLY IMPAIRING THE WELLBEING OF ITS OWN

CITIZENS'.

'THE EFFECT ON THE STANDARDS OF EXISTING SERVICES HAS BECOME EVIDENT, AND FURTHER STRAINS WOULD REVERS STANDARDS SO CAREFULLY

BUILT UP OVER THE YEARS.'

→

'THIS CANNOT BE ALLOWED TO HAPPEN, THE SPOKESMAN SAID, "AND SO WE HAVE NOW ABANDONED THE SO-CALLED 'REACHED BASE'' POLICY. UNDER THAT POLICY THOSE WHO EVADED CAPTURE AND ESTABLISHED CONTACT WITH FAMILY OR FRIENDS AND OBTAINED PROPER ACCOMMODATION WERE

ALLOWED TO STAY AND TO REGISTER FOR AN I.D. CARD.'

'UNDER THE NEW POLICY THE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO STAY, HE WILL NOT BE ABLE TO REGISTER FOR AN IDENTITY CARD, AND

HE WILL BE RETURNED TO CHINA'.

'FURTHER, AN ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT WILL NOT BE ABLE TO GAIN LAWFUL EMPLOYMENT IN HONG KONG WITHOUT AN IDENTITY CARD,' HE SAID.

AS FROM OCTOBER 28, EMPLOYERS WILL BE REQUIRED BY LAW TO INSPECT THE IDENTITY CARD OF ANY NEW APPLICANT BEFORE OFFERING

EMPLOYMENT.

EMPLOYERS WHO TAKE ON PEOPLE WITHOUT IDENITY CARDS, OR AN APPROPRIATE ALTERNATIVE DOCUMENT, WILL BE LIABLE TO A FINE OF HK DOLLARS 50,000 AND ONE YEAR'S IMPRISONMENT.

THE NEW LEGISLATION PROVIDES THAT AN EMPLOYEE MUST HAVE AN 1.D. CARD OR PROOF OF AN APPLICATION FOR REGISTRATION OR REPLACEMENT, OR IF HE IS NOT REQUIRED TO BE REGISTERED UNDER THE REGISTRATION OF PERSONS ORDIANANCE, HE SHOULD HAVE A VALID TRAVEL DOCUMENT, OR A VIETNAMESE REFUGEE CARD, OR A CERTIFICATE OF EXEMPTION ISSUED UNDER THE ORDINANCE TO THE AGED, THE BLIND AND THE INFIRM.

IN THE CASE OF EXISTING EMPLOYEES, THE EMPLOYER WILL BE EMPOWERED TO DISMISS AN EMPLOYEE WITHOUT NOTICE OR PAYMENT IN LIEU IF THE EMPLOYEE IS NOT ABLE TO PRODUCE HIS IDENTITY CARD OR SPECIFIED DOCUMENT BY MONDAY, NOVEMBER 3RD FOR INSPECTION BY

THE EMPLOYER.

THE SPOKESMAN EXPLAINED THAT IT HAD BECOME NECESSARY TO EXTEND THE REQUIREMENT TO CARRY PROOF OF IDENTITY THROUGHOUT HONG KONG, IN LINE WITH THE NEW MEASURES TO DEAL MORE EFFECTIVELY

WITH THE PROBLEM OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION.

FROM THURSDAY, OCTOBER 30TH EVERYONE AGED 15 OR OVER WHO IS REQUIRED TO BE REGISTERED UNDER THE REGISTRATION OF PERSONS ORDINANCE WILL BE REQUIRED TO CARRY ONE OF THE FOLLOWING DOCUMENTS

AS PROOF OF IDENTITY:

. HIS IDENITY CARD OR

A FORM ISSUED BY THE COMMISSIONER OF REGISTRATION ACKNOWLEDGING THAT HE HAS APPLIED FOR A REPLACEMENT IDENTITY CARD (IF HE HAS LOST HIS CARD) OR

2

CONFIDENTIAL

| A FORM