China's main law enforcement body on Thursday welcomed the country's recently-passed Passport Law, saying it would help stem the flow of illegal emigrants.

A spokesman with the Ministry of Public Security said the law was an important legal basis for stopping illegal emigration.

The Passport Law was passed by China's legislature, the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, on April 29 and will go into effect on Jan. 1 next year.

An official of the ministry's Exit and Entry Administration said the law imposed a passport ban of six months to three years on those with a record of border control offences, illegal immigrants repatriated from abroad, those staying and working illegally abroad.

It also imposes fines and prison terms of the producers and users of fake and falsified passports.

Passports will also be denied to criminal suspects, litigants in ongoing civil cases, prisoners, persons who may sabotage state security and interests if they went abroad, non-Chinese nationals, people without identification, and those who falsify documents or give false information in their applications.

The official said at least 20 million mainland citizens held passports.

(Xinhua News Agency June 2, 2006)