ENG-2012 — Page 417

20

Population and Immigration

handling nationality and residency matters; and registering births, deaths and marriages. The department has enhanced these services through the use of advanced information technology.

The Immigration Department had an establishment of 5,319 disciplined staff and 1,495 civilian staff at 31 December 2012.

Immigration Control

Hong Kong welcomes visitors and adopts a liberal visa policy. People from about 170 countries and territories can enter Hong Kong visa-free for stays of between seven and 180 days. Nearly 268 million people entered and left Hong Kong in 2012, representing an increase of 5.65 per cent from 2011. Over 100 million people arrived by land, mostly Mainland residents.

An electronic system, e-Channel, installed at boundary crossings (including vehicular control points) provides automated clearance for Hong Kong residents and eligible visitors after enrolment. From January 2012, eligible Mainland visitors may enrol and use the e-Channel service at various control points.

Legal Immigration

The Mainland is the major contributor to Hong Kong's immigrant population. In 2012, about 54,600 Mainlanders joined their families in Hong Kong under a 'One-way Permit Scheme, which imposes a daily quota of 150.

Right of Abode

Article 24 of the Basic Law states that Hong Kong permanent residents, regardless of their nationalities, have the right of abode in the HKSAR and may obtain permanent identity cards.

Certificate of Entitlement Scheme

Under Article 24(2)(3) of the Basic Law, Chinese nationals born outside Hong Kong of Hong Kong permanent residents are entitled to be HKSAR permanent residents with right of abode. The Immigration Ordinance stipulates that for a person to qualify for the right of abode under Article 24(2)(3), one of his or her natural parents must be a Chinese citizen who has the right of abode at the time of that person's birth.

The Government introduced a Certificate of Entitlement Scheme on 10 July 1997, under which a person's status as an HKSAR permanent resident under Article 24(2)(3) can be established only by holding a valid travel document such as a One-way Permit with a valid certificate of entitlement affixed to it. This enables systematic verification of right of abode claims and ensures orderly entry. Between 1 July 1997 and the end of 2012, some 193,700 certificate of entitlement holders entered Hong Kong from the Mainland.

Quality Migrant Admission Scheme

A Quality Migrant Admission Scheme launched in June 2006 seeks to enhance Hong Kong's pool of human capital, by allowing talented people to apply to enter and settle in Hong Kong without first securing an offer of local employment. At the end of 2012, 2,392 places had been. allotted to applicants.

349