Macau said Friday that officials have arrested 23 illegal workers from Hong Kong in the biggest roundups in years.

Macau's police, customs and labor officials found the Hong Kong workers, aged 26 to 60, and five mainlanders at a casino construction site on Thursday, said government spokeswoman Elena Au.

The former Portuguese colony, 65 kilometers (40 miles) west of Hong Kong, was handed back to China in 1999.

With a population of only 438,000 _ compared to Hong Kong's 6.8 million _ its gambling-driven economy is much smaller than its neighbor's and salaries are generally lower.

But Thursday's roundup _ which Au said was the biggest in recent years _ highlighted Hong Kong's record unemployment, which stands at 8.7 percent.

Hong Kong never fully recovered from Asia's 1997-98 financial crisis, and the government has been recording budget deficits for four years.

An outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome, which killed 299 people in Hong Kong, further devastated business.

Close

Today's Top News		Top Lifestyle News
+Six-party talks end, new round planned ( 2003-08-29) +Taiwan leader slammed for attitude ( 2003-08-29) +New shelters opened, but vagrants stay away ( 2003-08-29) +Nationwide anti-SARS drills on agenda ( 2003-08-29) +Air China, United Airlines strike alliance ( 2003-08-29)		+Macau arrests 23 Hong Kong illegal workers, biggest roundups in years ( 2003-08-29) +China establishes center to save folk culture ( 2003-08-29) +China aims to send probe to Mars by 2020 ( 2003-08-29) +China announces checks for West Nile Virus on travelers from US ( 2003-08-29) +China to test DNA of ancient skeleton ( 2003-08-29)