ENG-2002 — Page 507

POPULATION AND IMMIGRATION

marriages. Considerable effort goes into detecting and prosecuting immigration law offenders and removing illegal immigrants.

The policies aim on the one hand to keep at an acceptable level population growth brought about by immigration and, on the other hand, to facilitate the admission of persons, including those of outstanding talent, professionals and investors who would bring substantial benefits to help develop the economy. Immigration procedures for Hong Kong residents, tourists and business people are streamlined. Effort is also made to prevent the entry of undesirable persons and the departure of persons wanted for criminal offences.

The Immigration Department has implemented a long-term information systems strategy through the application of advanced technology. Immigration officers pay regular visits overseas to maintain close liaison with their counterparts abroad.

Immigration Control

The HKSAR maintains a liberal visa policy for visitors. People from about 170 countries and territories may come to the HKSAR visa-free for visits ranging from seven days to six months. Passenger traffic grew considerably in 2002, with 162 million people moving in and out of the HKSAR, up 8 per cent from the 150 million in 2001. The growth was mainly attributable to heavy cross-boundary traffic over land between the HKSAR and the Mainland. In all, 117.6 million land passengers and 12.4 million vehicular movements were recorded for 2002, an increase of 10.3 per cent and 9,7 per cent over the figures of 2001-106.6 million and 11.3 million, respectively.

The number of visitors travelling to the HKSAR also rose from 13.73 million in 2001 to 16.57 million in 2002, up 20.7 per cent. These included 6.83 million from the Mainland and 2.42 million from Taiwan.

Legal Immigration

The Mainland is the major source of the HKSAR's immigrant population. During the year, about 45 000 Mainland residents came to settle and join their families in the HKSAR under the One-way Permit Scheme, which has a daily quota of 150.

Certificate of Entitlement Scheme

Under Article 24(2)(3) of the Basic Law, persons of Chinese nationality born outside Hong Kong of Hong Kong permanent residents shall be permanent residents of the HKSAR and enjoy right of abode (ROA). The Immigration Ordinance stipulates that in order for a person to qualify for ROA under Article 24(2)(3) of the Basic Law, at least one of his parents must be a Chinese citizen who has ROA at the time of his birth. The Government introduced the Certificate of Entitlement (C of E) Scheme on July 10, 1997, under which a person's status as a permanent resident of the HKSAR under Article 24(2)(3) of the Basic Law can be established only by his holding a valid travel document (i.e. a One-way Permit) with a valid C of E affixed to it. This arrangement enables systematic verification of ROA claims and ensures orderly entry. Since July 1, 1997, 130 000 C of E holders have entered Hong Kong.

Right of Abode Litigation

Shortly after the resumption of sovereignty, legal proceedings were instituted by ROA claimants to challenge the 'time-of-birth' requirement in the Immigration Ordinance and the requirement that Mainland residents eligible for ROA under Article 24(2)(3)

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