ENG-1964 — Page 192

IMMIGRATION AND TOURISM

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3,403, followed by 1,578 Japanese, 485 Dutch, and 656 Filipinos. On 31st December 1964 there were altogether 12,592 alien residents. During the year 807 non-Chinese refugees from China, principally White Russians, entered Hong Kong. 459 left under the sponsor- ship of the United Nations for settlement in other countries, but at the end of the year there were still 445 refugees in Hong Kong awaiting repatriation.

The Director of Immigration processes travel applications, and deals with citizenship problems, on behalf of those Commonwealth countries not otherwise represented in Hong Kong and the number of visa applications for these overseas territories increased during the year.

Traffic to and from Macau created many difficulties for the Harbour Section, especially at week-ends and on public holidays, but procedures have been improved and additional channels opened to speed the flow of passengers. The operation of hydrofoils has considerably stimulated the tourist trade, as they make it possible, for the first time, to pay a short day trip to Macau without the necessity to stay overnight. Large passenger-carrying ships have presented little difficulty, and immigration clearance of most of these vessels is completed by the time they arrive at their berths.

At the request of the Port Executive Committee night immigration clearance facilities have been brought into force, primarily for the benefit of cargo ships. Clearance facilities in the Eastern Quarantine Anchorage can now be made available 24 hours a day. In the Western Quarantine Anchorage they are available between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m.

The sub-offices of the department have been very busy throughout the year, and approval in principle has now been given for the opening of a new sub-office in Sham Shui Po in 1965. Surveys are being conducted to determine the relative need for additional sub- offices in other parts of Kowloon. In July a mobile office came into use for the New Territories.

The total recorded movement during the year was 3,388,117 comprising 1,694,599 arrivals and 1,693,518 departures. This com- pares with the total of 2,594,964 in 1963. The main lines of move- ment have been, as usual, between Hong Kong and China, and Hong Kong and Macau.