Immigration law | AL president requests to pass bill by September

The Third Standing Committee of the Legislative Assembly has received a request from the parliamentary head, Kou Hoi In, to finish compiling its opinions on an immigration bill by April, so that the bill can be approved as a law before the end of this lawmaking term.
This term of the legislature ends in September, when the Legislative Election is held.
Officially known to be translated as the “Legal Regime for Immigration Control, Residence and Residence Permits in the Macau Special Administrative Region,” the bill was recently passed in general terms at the parliament’s plenary and is now in the second stage before being made as law.
President of the committee, Vong Hin Fai, revealed after the meeting yesterday that the committee hopes to see government officials clarifying committee members’ concerns next week.
According to Vong, the committee managed to finish discussing Articles 28 to 39 of the bill at yesterday’s meeting. Among them, Article 31 raised special concerns as it requires the non-resident parents of Macau-born children to obtain a passport of their original nationality for their children within 90 days from the children’s birth.
Committee members were seeking for the government’s justification and questioned what would the government do if their home country fell into a coup d’état or saw natural disasters, making it impossible to obtain passports.
Pursuant to the Basic Law, babies born in Macau do not naturally obtain Chinese nationality or Macau residency. They can only obtain such conditions should certain factors be met.
On the other hand, Article 35 of the bill proposes that the Chief Executive be allowed to revoke the permit to remain for certain people under “repetitive violations,” especially in situations which harm Macau residents’ health or well-being. Committee members wanted to clarify the definitions of “repetitive” and “harming health or well-being.” AL