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legal requirements of the Community with regard to immigration
if Britain entered and the actual absorption of the flow of
Commonwealth immigrants. If Britain became a member of the
E.E.C. she would be obliged to allow citizens of E.E.C. countries
first priority; in theory jobs would therefore be offered to
workers from the Community before Commonwealth citizens who
would continue to have access through Britain's existing immigration
machinery. However, it was hoped that in practice no problem
would arise because existing conditions in the Six were such that
there were more foreigners from outside the Community living and
working in the countries of the E.E.C. than there were citizens
of the Community working in other Member States. It followed,
therefore, that a great rush of immigrants from the E.E.C. to
Britain was unlikely and it was hoped that there would be a good
chance of preserving the existing inflow of Commonwealth citizens
into Britain. The British Government did not wish to show too
much concern on this matter as it was hoped that the E.E.C.
would recognise Britain's special ties with the Commonwealth on
immigration, which were much looser and more flexible than
similar arrangements which the French and Dutch had with their
Dependencies. The regulations governing the movement of
labour, etc., within the Community were due for revision and
might well be tightened up and it might be necessary for Britain
to persuade the Six of the need for her to maintain her
immigration ties with Commonwealth countries.
3. Sir A. Snelling wondered whether immigrants from Hong Kong already in the United Kingdom would be free to move on
to other countries of the E.E.C. should Britain become a member.
Mr. Heddy said that although such people were United Kingdom
citizens they still belonged to Hong Kong and the criterion for
deciding whether or not they would be allowed freedom of move-
ment within the Community depended more on their place of
/origin
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