ENG-1996 — Page 382

PUBLIC ORDER

298

prosecuted and fined and, in serious cases, gaoled. To further deter illegal employment, the maximum fines for illegal workers and their employers were raised in January 1996.

Furthermore, legislative amendments were proposed to redefine the term of 'lawfully employable' person and to impose a duty on employers to ascertain the immigration status of any prospective employee who is not a Hong Kong permanent resident before the offer of employment. In 1996, 580 employers of illegal workers were prosecuted and 24 408 illegal immigrants were apprehended and repatriated, compared with 1 170 and 30 747, respectively, in 1995.

Investigation and Prosecution of Immigration Offences

During the year, the Immigration Service Ordinance was amended to vest more powers in members of the service in the investigation of immigration-related forgery offences as well as offences committed under the Registration of Persons, Births, Deaths and Marriage Ordinances.

In all, 22 028 charges were laid against persons who had committed various immigration offences. These included: remaining in Hong Kong illegally, breach of conditions of stay, making false statements or representations, and using or possessing forged documents.

Deportation and Removal

The department processes deportation and removal orders. During the year, 10 000 persons who had been convicted of possessing or trafficking in dangerous drugs, deception, theft, forgery and other criminal offences were considered for deportation and 643 were deported. Another 671 persons were removed from Hong Kong under removal orders. These included 22 illegal immigrants, mostly of Chinese origin and 649 persons who had breached their condition of stay.

Fire Services

The Fire Services Department fights fires, protects life and property in case of fire and other calamity, provides emergency ambulance services and gives fire protection advice to the public.

The department's establishment of 8 191 staff comprised 7 446 uniformed and 745 civilian members. It is one of the finest fire brigades in the world, with well-trained personnel, advanced communication systems, and modern appliances and equipment.

The department responded to 32 855 fire calls, 21 107 special service calls and 421 220 ambulance calls during 1996, representing an average of 1 154 calls a day. January and February were rather busy, with 12 No. 3 alarm fires and more than 900 vegetation fires.

Despite the heavy operational commitments, the department made some significant advances during 1996. These included increasing contacts with its mainland counterparts through visits and work attachments; upgrading of telecommunication systems to improve efficiency; and reviewing the provision of paramedic service and its future development.