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News of Hong Kong's tougher measures has spread among the communes in Guangdong province from which the immigrants have come and has had the desired effect of reducing substantially the number of persons attempting to enter Hong Kong illegally. Those arrested (and repatriated) now number an average of 28 per day compared with the 260 per day before "Operation Champion". The new measures are generally supported by the community in
Hong Kong.
Immigration is still very much a live issue. The requirement to carry Identity Cards irks certain sections of the population (most notably expatriates) and an expatriate magistrate recently dismissed charges brought against a group of people arrested for not carrying Identity Cards. During the last few months there has been a spate of pregnant women illegal immigrants, usually only recently married to husbands having the right of abode in Hong Kong. Although by no means insensitive to the humanitarian aspects of these cases, the Government has decided to repatriate the women when they are medically fit to travel in order to discourage others who would otherwise be prepared to await their turn for legal emigration from China to join their husbands in Hong Kong.
Hong Kong Government Office
1st March 1982
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