Guangdong and Hong Kong officials yesterday agreed to step up immigration controls for entry into the territory in an attempt to stop the number of two-way permit holders overstaying.
The agreement to improve control was reached at a high-level annual border liaison meeting at Guangzhou where Secretary for Constitutional Affairs, Nicholas Ng Wing-fui, raised Hong Kong concerns about mainland visitors.
'We have conveyed our concern about the persistent high overstaying rate of two-way permit holders, which stood at 9.2 per cent in 1996, and the 70 per cent increase in two-way permit holders turning to prostitution and other illicit activities,' Mr Ng said.
He said both sides agreed in the meeting to maintain the border liaison system started in 1981 and continue to step up immigration control after the handover.
'We have agreed that there will be no relaxation of our immigration control in any circumstances. We would only tighten it up,' Mr Ng said.
He said the two sides had also agreed to step up border patrols to curb smuggling of illegal immigrants, although cross-border smuggling activities had dropped 22 per cent last year compared to figures in 1995.
