ENG-1975 — Page 166

IMMIGRATION AND TOURISM

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Kong. In the case of employment visas, the test is whether approval would contribute to Hong Kong's economic and social development.

For many years Hong Kong has been a prime target for illegal immigration- mainly from China, Taiwan, Macau and Indo-China. In 1975 some 11,588 of the people registering for identity cards claimed to have entered Hong Kong illegally at some time in the past. During the year 2,443 illegal immigrants were removed from Hong Kong, including 1,133 who were returned to China under the arrangements introduced in November 1974.

Vietnamese Refugees

In May 1975, Hong Kong gave temporary asylum to 3,900 Vietnamese refugees who had escaped from the fighting in and around Saigon on a small ocean going vessel, the Truong Xuam. After suffering from extreme overcrowding and shortage of food and water, they were taken aboard by a Danish vessel, the MV Clara Maersk, which arrived in Hong Kong on May 4.

Emergency arrangements for the reception of the refugees were put in hand, involving officers of many government departments as well as members of the Civil Aid Services, the Auxiliary Medical Service and many units of the British Armed Forces. The refugees received medical examination, were given food and clothing, and were documented by immigration officers. Army transport took them to four refugee centres which were set up and administered during the early days of the operation by the Army. The Civil Aid Services and specially appointed camp ad- ministrators subsequently assumed responsibility for the administration of the refugee camps, with food and clothing being supplied by the Social Welfare Depart- ment. Assistance in providing for the needs and comfort of the refugees was received from many voluntary agencies and religious organisations.

Approaches were made to the representatives of foreign governments in Hong Kong to arrange for the resettlement of the refugees, and representatives of the United Nations High Commission for Refugees came to Hong Kong specially to help. The High Commission also provided a substantial grant towards the cost of caring for the refugees in Hong Kong. The Immigration Department set up a special unit to deal with documentation of the refugees and to make arrangements for their departure. This unit was also responsible for liaison with the authorities of receiving countries, with international agencies, and with the Intergovernmental Committee for European Migration (ICEM) which undertook to arrange the onward movement of most of the refugees leaving Hong Kong.

From May to the end of the year there was a continuous movement of refugees to new homes, the flow accelerating in September and October. The majority of the refugees wished to find homes in the United States and by the end of the year more than 2,500 refugees had left for that country. Other countries which accepted substantial numbers of refugees were Britain, Canada, France, Australia, Denmark, Austria and Belgium. More than 100 were settled in Hong Kong. By the end of the year, less than 100 refugees remained to be resettled.