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Following is a written reply by the Secretary for Security, Mr Ambrose S K Lee, to a question by Dr Hon Yeung Sum in the Legislative Council today (July 9):
Question :
Regarding marriages between Hong Kong residents and Mainlanders, will the Government inform this Council:
(a) of the number of Hong Kong residents who applied to the Immigration Department for the Certificate of Absence of Marriage Record in each of the past five years and, among the marriages registered in Hong Kong in each of the past five year, the number of cases involving marriages between Hong Kong residents and Mainlanders;
(b) whether it knows, among marriages between Hong Kong residents and Mainlanders over the past five years, the respective number and percentage of cases in which Mainlanders were separated from or who divorced their Hong Kong spouses before obtaining One-way Exit Permit for settlement in Hong Kong; and
(c) of the approximate number of children aged 16 or below born to Hong Kong residents and Mainlanders at present; the government departments and legal procedures through which Hong Kong residents and Mainlanders may settle their disputes on the custody of their minor children; and if either the father or the mother of these children abducts them to his/her place of residence across the boundary, through what legal procedures and government departments or organisations the other party may seek assistance?
Reply :
Madam President,
(a) In the past five years, the number of Hong Kong residents who applied to the Immigration Department for the Certificate of Absence
of Marriage Record is as follows:
¡@¡@Year¡@¡@Application for Certificate of
Absence of Marriage Record
¡@¡@¢w¢w¢w ¢w¢w¢w¢w¢w¢w¢w¢w¢w¢w¢w¢w¢w¢w¢w
¡@¡@2003 21,332
¡@¡@2004¡@¡@ 21,929
¡@¡@2005¡@¡@ 25,932
¡@¡@2006¡@¡@ 30,569
¡@¡@2007¡@¡@ 23,075
In the past five years, the number of marriages between Hong Kong residents and Mainlanders registered in Hong Kong is as follows:
¡@¡@Year¡@¡@Marriages between Hong Kong
residents and Mainlanders
¡@¡@ ¡@¡@registered in Hong Kong
¡@¡@¢w¢w ¢w¢w¢w¢w¢w¢w¢w¢w¢w¢w¢w¢w¢w¢w
¡@¡@2003¡@¡@ 11,613
¡@¡@2004¡@¡@ 15,036
¡@¡@2005¡@¡@ 19,577
¡@¡@2006¡@¡@ 20,329
¡@¡@2007¡@¡@ 18,334
(b) The Government does not maintain statistics on marriage cases between Hong Kong residents and Mainlanders in which the Mainlanders were separated from or divorced their Hong Kong spouses before being granted a One-way Permit for settlement in Hong Kong.
(c) The Government does not maintain statistics on the number of children aged 16 or below born to a Hong Kong resident and a
Mainlander at present.
Generally speaking, if a child born to a Hong Kong resident and a Mainlander is below the age of 18, his / her father or mother may apply to the Courts of Hong Kong for an order with respect to the child's custody, in accordance with the Laws of Hong Kong, including the Guardianship of Minors Ordinance (Cap 13), the Separation and Maintenance Orders Ordinance (Cap 16) and the Matrimonial Causes Ordinance (Cap 179).
If any person suspects that a child is unlawfully abducted to a place outside Hong Kong, he or she should immediately report to the Police for assistance. The Police will investigate and follow up the case. If necessary, the Police will seek assistance from the public security department of the Mainland through the liaison mechanism.
Ends/Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Issued at HKT 16:10
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