Over 800,000 One-way Permit holders come to HK since 1997: official   

香港回歸后持“單程證”赴香港定居內地人逾80萬

Hong Kong's Chief Secretary for Administration Carrie Lam said Thursday that more than 800,000 One- way Permit (OWP) holders have come from the mainland to Hong Kong since Hong Kong's return to China in 1997.

Lam said over the past years or so, the increase in population as a result of OWP holders is actually the major source of population growth in Hong Kong, and 98 percent of the holders are coming to join their parents, or they are actually the spouse of Hong Kong residents.

"They will be a major factor of population growth and also will contribute to Hong Kong's labor force," she said.

She said the government has the duty to provide the needed services and education to enable them to integrate and adapt more readily into Hong Kong society.

"I believe that Hong Kong people are sensible and rational, and they will realize that they need this source of population growth while at the same time they will also appreciate that this is really what we always advocate as human rights for family reunion purposes," she said.

Lam said given the prevalence of cross-boundary marriages, there is a continued need for the OWP Scheme to enable eligible Mainland residents to come to Hong Kong in an orderly manner for family reunion.

The government released Thursday a report on "Population Policy - Strategies and Initiatives." The report was compiled following a public engagement exercise and research carried out in 2013 and 2014 by the Steering Committee on Population Policy (SCPP) chaired by the Chief Secretary for Administration.

The report includes some 50 initiatives covering the main areas of promoting sustainable growth, unleashing the potential of the local labor force, enhancing the quality of home-grown talent, attracting talent from outside, importation of labor, fostering a supportive environment for forming and raising families, and embracing opportunities in an aging society.

Key measures were announced by Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying in his 2015 Policy Address on Wednesday.

Releasing the report, Lam said that with little natural resources Hong Kong relied on adequate and quality manpower to provide the major impetus for continued social and economic development.