CONFIDENTIAL
For discussion
on 24th June 1969
XCC(69)29 Copy No....of 25
MEMORANDUM FOR EXECUTIVE COUNCIL
Immigration Policy
ENTRY OF COMMONWEALTH CITIZENS INTO HONG KONG
14/2/1
The Present Position
There has been virtually no control in the past over the entry into Hong Kong of Commonwealth citizens. Until comparatively recently no reason was seen to contemplate the introduction of such controls for, although there has always been a small number of undesirable persons entering the Colony from British Commonwealth countries, this has been more than offset by the value of a wide variety of knowledge and skills brought to the Colony by the majority of such immigrants.
2
There has been a net loss of Commonwealth citizens from Hong Kong in the last two years (1967/68: 9,000; 1968/69: 6, 000) but this figure includes emigrant Hong Kong residents and students. The overall figures mask net increases in Indians and Pakistanis who have come direct from India and Pakistan with a view to settling here. Although detailed records of the movements of Commonwealth citizens are not maintained, such figures as are available from immigration records suggest net increases of 650 a year for Indians and 1,300 a year for Pakistanis: the net intake of the latter may rise to 2,000 this year. The Commissioner of Registration's figures suggest that the number of Indians settling here may be between 650 and 1, 300 a year. Hence there is a possible continuing increase of about 3, 000 Indians and Pakistanis a year; this figure does not include the children yet to be born nor, as yet, any movement into the Colony of Indians and Pakistanis living in Uganda and Kenya from whom, however, a few enquiries about entry have been received. More recently, there has been an indication of increased immigration of Malaysian citizens.
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Economic Considerations
3
The absence of restrictions has, in the past, generally been beneficial from an economic point of view. There are no sound economic reasons at present for imposing restrictions and, in fact, any such restrictions would be disadvantageous unless applied liberally, particularly in respect of persons with skills. Many of the Pakistanis and Indians at present entering the Colony are believed to be unskilled and even their presence could be said to be beneficial, at best at the present moment. as some do, they fill vacancies in factories, though to some extent this may be due to their being willing to accept low wages.
CONFIDENTIAL