In less than two months, the Beijing General Station of Exit and
Entry Frontier Inspection had handled 50 cases of foreigners
entering China through illegal channels, with 72 foreigners
involved, according to information released from the Beijing
General Station of Exit and Entry Frontier Inspection last
week.
The number of cases and people involved hit a historical high
point.
In recent years, the fast-growing Chinese economy, the stable
political situation and the relatively low living costs have
prompted many foreigners living in developing countries to come to
China, some even trying to steal into China.
In some African, Southeast Asian, and West Asian countries,
counterfeit Chinese passports often appear.
In African countries, illegal immigrants usually try to enter
into Chinese border after China has opened new flights with those
countries. These cases are usually easy to detect. Compared with
them, many other illegal immigrants try to enter into China by land
or by sea. Since China has a long coastline and land borderline,
such cases of illegal entry are usually hard to find out.
Some foreigners living in neighboring countries regard China as
a paradise to live. A report shows that from 1995 to 2005, Chinese
police had repatriated 63,000 foreigners who entered, lived or
worked in China with no official permits. In 2006 alone, about
16,000 illegal foreign immigrants were repatriated.
(Chinanews.cn November 30, 2007)