TNAG-1723-FCO40-2436-Minutes-and-Hansards-of-the-Legislative-Council-of-Hong-Kong-1988 — Page 165

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Government make such a suggestion to the Chinese Government,

and that is, after the illegal immigrant mothers are

repatriated the Chinese Government will immediately issue

them double-way entry permits and also let them apply for

one-way permits at the same time, and that there will not

be a limit to their stay in Hong Kong after they come with

their two-way permits until their one-way permits are issued

to them?

of a

of

SECREEARY FOR SECURITY: Under the arrangements that we have

with the appropriate authorities in China, two-way permit

holders are allowed in for a period of stay maximum three

months and then they must return to china. If we start making

exceptions to two-way permit holders, we really will be at

the top of a very slippery slope. As regards the first part

of my hon. Friend's question, we have, of course, been

in discussion with the Chinese authorities at our regular

meetings with them on this question, and I can assure you that

we have had a very sympathetic hearing.

Mr. CHEONG-LEEN: Sir, the Secretary for Security said that

there is no reason to suppose that these 11 mothers will

experience any difficulty in obtaining one-way exit permits.

Could he tell us in the normal course of events how long it

will take to get such one-way exit permits and whether such

period of time would be considered as reasonable or humanitarian

and fair under the

circumstances?

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