ENG-1978 — Page 195

IMMIGRATION AND TOURISM

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visitors to Hong Kong to travel to other countries on forged documents or with forged visas were also uncovered, and close liaison was maintained with the immigra- tion authorities of the countries involved. It is becoming clear that co-operation between the immigration authorities of many countries is vital if the growing use of bogus travel documents and visas is to be contained.

The policy of deporting aliens convicted of serious criminal activities continued during the year, and the Governor in Council made 28 deportation orders.

There was a dramatic increase in the number of refugees from Vietnam arriving in Hong Kong. They numbered 3,356 rescued at sea by ocean-going vessels bound for Hong Kong as the first port of call or allowed to land exceptionally from other vessels on humanitarian grounds, and 2,441 who arrived directly in Hong Kong in their own small craft. At the end of the year, 3,561 refugees were still in Hong Kong awaiting resettlement. These figures do not include refugees from Vietnam who made their way to China and later entered Hong Kong illegally; nor more than 3,000 refugees on board the Panamanian freighter Huey Fong. This ship's first scheduled port of call was in Taiwan but she changed course after taking aboard the refugees. From December 23 to the end of the year, she remained anchored just outside Hong Kong waters.

A representative of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) was stationed in Hong Kong for much of the year. The UNHCR cares for the refugees during their stay in Hong Kong and arranges for their resettlement overseas, meeting the costs of the operation from international funds. A number of welfare agencies in Hong Kong assisted the UNHCR. The Immigration Department main- tained close co-operation with the staff of the UNHCR, the representatives in Hong Kong of countries receiving the refugees, and the other agencies involved.

In addition to Hong Kong's efforts in coping with the problem of Vietnamese refugees arriving by sea, a total of 4,619 residents of Hong Kong and dependants of Hong Kong residents have been brought back to Hong Kong from Vietnam since the change of government there. Most of these refugees have travelled on 31 charter flights from Ho Chi Minh City organised by the Immigration Department.

Personal Documentation

During 1978, there was a 26 per cent increase in demands for British passports issued in Hong Kong. The demand for other Hong Kong travel documents also increased sharply. One result of the increase in demand for immigration facilities has been a large increase in the income derived from fees. This was $46.9 million for the year, and largely covered the direct costs of operating the Immigration Department.

Tourism

Hong Kong received 2,054,739 visitors during 1978 - an increase of 17 per cent over 1977. Expenditure by visitors also continued to grow and in 1978 was estimated to be approximately $5,000 million, an increase of more than 20 per cent over the previous

year.

Of the major sources of visitors during 1978, the first five by volume were Southeast Asia (26.3 per cent), Japan (23.7 per cent), the United States (13.8 per cent), Western Europe (13.3 per cent) and Australia and New Zealand (9.1 per cent).

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