bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

moreOnThisArticles

urlAlias

commentCount

sponsorType

authorLocations

authors

paywallTypes

corrections

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

socialHeadline

headline

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

publishedDate

additionalInfoBoxes

images

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

createdDate

sponsor

factSheets

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

copyrighted

customTimezone

liveContents

SCMP Reporter

THREE pregnant illegal immigrants arrested on Monday are likely to obtain citizenship for their children by giving birth in Hong Kong.

  Eleven pregnant illegal immigrants were found in the rear compartment of a goods vehicle which skidded into a ditch after racing through a police road block near the border on Monday night.

  They were not injured but three were admitted to the Prince of Wales Hospital pending doctors' advice.

  'They are eight or nine months pregnant.

  'The incident further sped up the expectancy.

  'Our doctors will decide in one or two days if they are suitable to be repatriated or should stay to give birth,' said Dr Cheung Wai-lun, co-ordinator (clinical services) of the hospital.

  Sha Tau Kok police are still detaining the truck's 21-year-old driver and 29-year-old owner. The other women were still being questioned.

  'Unless some of them have a crucial role to give evidence in court, all of them will be repatriated at the earliest possible time,' said Assistant Divisional Commander Kenny Tse Sau-keung.

  Women whose husbands are Hong Kong residents will get right of abode for their children if they are born in the territory. The women will, however, be repatriated.

   Children born in the mainland will be granted the right if they enter Hong Kong under the one-way permit system.

  But the system is plagued with allegations of corruption and the endless wait has prompted expectant mothers to risk their lives to sneak into the territory.

  'Twenty per cent of our hospital's [3,600] pregnant patients are mainland women. They are either illegal immigrants, two-way permit holders, or overstayers,' Dr Cheung said.

  Prince of Wales is the central hospital for New Territories north and east, common points of crossing for illegal immigrants.

  'We have accounted for the illegal immigrants in our budget for expanding hospital facilities,' he said.

  Immigration Department figures show the number of illegal entries by pregnant mainlanders has increased by 30 per cent from 1,484 in the first eight months last year to 1,923 in the same period this year.

  Yesterday, 23 illegal immigrants including a pregnant woman were stopped off Lau Fau Shan after paying $1,500 each to sail from Shekou.



Children of IIs may get papers