Mainland-born children of Hong Kong residents could be settled in Shenzhen while awaiting permission to live in the SAR, a top official says.
The idea was a possible long-term solution for helping the massive number of children arrive in an orderly fashion.
The suggestion was a personal opinion and the government taskforce had yet to discuss it, the official said.
An estimated 66,000 mainland children of Hong Kong permanent residents are eligible for residency under the Basic Law.
If the one-way permit quota remains unchanged, it could take up to four years for all of them to settle here.
The Security Branch also estimates about 5,000 children of Hong Kong residents will continue to be born in the mainland every year. The Government does not want all eligible children arriving too quickly, saying they would create a huge strain on social welfare, housing and the provision of education.
A law has been passed requiring the children to obtain a certificate of entitlement from the Immigration Department.
