ENG-1998 — Page 496

POPULATION AND IMMIGRATION

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Deaths from natural causes should be registered by the relatives within 24 hours. Hong Kong has four death registries providing a free service, and death may also be registered at 15 police stations in the New Territories and outlying islands.

During the year, 53 356 live births and 32 680 deaths were recorded, compared with 60 379 and 32 079, respectively, in 1997. When adjusted for under-registration, the figures gave a natural population increase of about 0.31 per cent.

Verification of Eligibility for Permanent Identity Card

Persons who claim permanent resident status in the HKSAR must apply for verification of their eligibility for a permanent identity card and 89 770 applications were received in 1998. Of these, 47 969 successful applicants were arranged to register for permanent identity cards.

Nationality Matters

The Immigration Department is authorised to handle matters relating to Chinese nationality. This includes processing declarations of change of nationality in respect of Hong Kong residents who are Chinese citizens holding foreign passports. Once their declarations have been approved, these people are treated as foreign nationals in the HKSAR and are eligible for foreign consular protection.

The department received 583 applications for declaration of change of nationality in 1998, plus 240 applications for naturalisation as Chinese nationals, 23 applications for renunciation of Chinese nationality and 50 applications for restoration of Chinese nationality.

Establishment and Training

The department had 3 896 disciplined staff and 1 759 civilian staff at the end of the year, compared with 3 687 and 1 858, respectively, in 1997. A total of 40 Immigration Officers and 240 Immigration Assistants were recruited in 1998.

The department provides training for new and serving officers. During the year, 335 new recruits completed induction courses covering law, immigration policies and procedures, foot-drills, physical training, swimming, first-aid and practical attachments, while 2 118 serving officers received various types of job-related and management training. Of these, 18 were sent for overseas attachment and training.

Vietnamese refugees, Migrants and Illegal Immigrants

Since 1975, Hong Kong has received more than 200 000 people from Vietnam. No Vietnamese asylum seeker has ever been turned away.

Despite its tiny size and overcrowding, Hong Kong has also absorbed some 15 000 Indo-Chinese people since the late 1970s. At the end of 1998, 1026 Vietnamese refugees, 638 Vietnamese migrants and 577 Vietnamese illegal immigrants were in the HKSAR. This was after the resettlement of more than 143 000 Vietnamese refugees in other countries and the repatriation of more than 67 000 Vietnamese migrants and 3 367 Vietnamese illegal immigrants to Vietnam. The remaining population is much less than the highest number of 64 300 in October 1991.